THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 155 
premiums in advance 1 and, speaking generally, we must 
regard the period which followed the death of Aurangzeb 
1s one in which men of these various classes were competing 
with one another in a struggle for territorial position, and 
the revenue which it brought. Rights to receive the revenue 
could still be granted by the Emperor, but the power of 
the Empire could not enforce his orders, and the right might 
often be given to whoever had secured possession by force. 
The results of these conditions were manifest when the 
northern provinces came under British rule, as will be 
described in the next chapter. 
Before taking leave finally of the Assignment system, a 
few words may be said regarding the practice of Valuation 
uring the seventeenth century. The only reference I have 
found in the chronicles to a formal revision is Jahangir’s 
order (Tuzuk, 9) appointing a Diwan to revise the Valuation 
of Bengal. There is no record of the result, but, as will be 
oxplained in Chapter VII, there are indications that re- 
visions were subsequently carried out in this province. 
The maintenance of a general Valuation during the first 
half of the century is established by various passages, some 
of which are quoted in Appendix A, contrasting the Income 
of a particular region with its Valuation. Some statistical 
records? of the next century indicate obscurely that a change 
in practice took place during the reign of Aurangzeb, for 
figures for his Empire are given in three columns instead of 
two. The first, which is headed jama-i dami, may safely 
he taken as the formal Valuation, and the third (hdsii-¢ 
sanwdt) as current, or recent, Income; but the second 
(hdsil-i kdmil), which is not explained in any document 
within my knowledge, is more difficult to interpret. The 
heading means “complete” or ‘‘perfect” Income, and 
points to some sort of standard figure, but its nature, and 
the method of its calculation, are matters for conjecture. 
My own guess is that ‘perfect Income” is an office 
abbreviation of “Income of the perfect year’; that is to 
L In Farrukhsiyar’s reign ‘lakhs were realised by sale of farms of the 
Reserved parganas’ (Khwafi, ii. 773). A little later, the practice of 
farming was condemned as ruinous to the Empire (ii. 948), but it was 
aot discontinued for long. 
? “Oficial manuals’ (Dastiir-ul amai), Or. 1779 and 1842; Add. 6588.