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 II. The 13th and 14th centuries

Collection:: Economics Books

THE 13ta AND 1l4tH CENTURIES 33 strong incentive to rebellion. It is easy then to believe that the Chiefs, or some of them, were in fact ready to throw off the Moslem yoke whenever an opportunity should occur, and that they employed their surplus income largely in strengthening themselves in the traditional ways, by main- taining troops and accumulating weapons; but, however this may be, the view accepted by Alauddin led directly to a change in agrarian policy, designed to deprive the Chiefs of a large part of their resources. The measures taken were: I. The standard of the revenue-Demand! was fixed at one-half of the produce without anv allowances or deduc- tions. 2. The Chiefs’ perquisites were abolished, so that all the land occupied by them was to be brought under assess- ment at the full rate. 3. The method of assessment was to be Measurement, the charges being calculated on the basis of standard yields. 4. A grazing-tax was imposed apart from the assess ment on cultivation. These measures were in themselves well suited to achieve the object in view. A Demand of half the produce cannot have left the ordinary peasant with any substantial surplus, and would thus strike at the private revenue which the Chiefs were suspected of levying; while the assessment of the Chiefs’ holdings at full rates would reduce them practically to the economic position of peasants, and the grazing-tax would operate to diminish their income from uncultivated land. The economic result would be to draw the bulk, if not the whole, of the Producer’s Surplus of the country into the treasury; to stereotype the standard of living of the ordinary peasants; and to reduce the standard of living of the Chiefs, who would not be in a position to maintain troops, or accumulate supplies of horses and other military requirements. The only question that arises is whether such a policy was, or could be, carried out effectively. On this question we have the definite statement of the chronicler that the regulations were strictly enforced, and ! The word “Demand” is used to denote the claim actually made bv the State, as distinguished from the other senses borne by ‘‘revenue.’ The latter ambiguous term is analvsed in Appendix A.

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