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 131s AND l4tH CENTURIES 61 One difficulty arises in interpreting this account. Revenue due from the peasants was assessed by Sharing, and con- sequently the ordinary Demand would increase automatically with every increase in produce resulting from the supply of water; at first sight then, there was no reason for a separate assessment. The water-right was claimed on the specific ground that the King was entitled to some return for his outlay; but the Sharing-method of assessment would of itself have yielded an adequate return. The point is not explained by the chronicler, but the explanation is to be found in the circumstances of the time. We have seen that the Valuation was not altered during the reign, and con- sequently the benefit of irrigation would accrue to the assignees; the State could hope to benefit only from the Reserved areas administered by the provincial Governors. If the Governors held on farming terms, that is to say, if they were liable only to remit fixed sums to the treasury, then the benefit of the canals would enure to them, and the King would in fact derive no income until the contracts were revised. The terms on which Governors held their provinces during this reign are not on record, but all incidental refer- ences to their position are consistent with their holding on farm- ing terms, and I think this explanation is, at least, probable. The reference of the water-question to jurists is not an isolated occurrence. In his general administration Firiiz endeavoured to follow the rules of Islamic law, and in regard to finance in particular he insisted! that no taxation should be received in the treasury which was not strictly lawful. In accordance with this principle, he abolished all miscellaneous cesses. Most of the examples given are of the nature of town-dues, but the inclusion of the grazing- tax seems to indicate that his orders were intended to relieve the villages as well as the cities from these imposts. This action had no permanent effect, for cesses of the same nature were abolished by Akbar, and again by Aurangzeb, but were still in existence at the opening of the British period; we may, however, infer that the orders were effective for the time, or, at the least, that Firtz tried to limit the burdens on the peasants to the regular revenue-Demand. ! Futuhat, as in Elliot, iii. 377; Or. 2039, f. 3007

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