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.
