170 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA 
money in the form of either crop-rates, soil-rates, or lump- 
rents. Crop-rates were on exactly the same lines as Akbar’s 
system, a fixed sum per bigha, varying with the nature of 
the crop; but the schedules were much less elaborate, crops 
of approximately equal value being grouped together, so 
that the schedule for a particular village might show only 
rice, other grains, sugarcane, cotton, and garden-crops. 
Soil-rates were altogether independent of the crop, and were 
presumably based on the peasants’ intimate knowledge of 
the capacity of the land they cultivated. Lump rents were 
fixed sums for a fixed area, payable whether the whole area 
was cultivated or not, that is to say, the holdings on which 
they were paid were what I have called Contract-holdings. 
In all three cases there were customary allowances on account 
of crop-failure, an obvious necessity when the charges were 
pitched so high. 
Throughout the provinces then cash-payments were the 
rule, and the Headman could bring before the members of 
his Brotherhood a sort of annual or seasonal cash account, 
showing what had to be paid out for revenue and other 
expenses, what would be received from peasants outside 
the Brotherhood or other sources, and what balance re- 
mained to be realised from the members. This balance was 
then assessed on the individual members according to the 
method customary in the village, sometimes on the season's 
yield, sometimes on each plough, but usually on the area 
sown: and the Headman had to collect this assessment in 
order to complete the necessary pavments, and balance 
his account. 
It is clear from the records of the period that the 
authorities who claimed revenue attempted to secure the 
largest possible sum, which would represent the economic 
rent of the village; but their attempt was not always suc- 
cessful, and in cases where the Headmen could retain a 
portion of the economic rent, it would be distributed among 
the Brotherhood on the system just described, in the form of 
a reduction in the Demand charged on their cultivation. 
When this occurred, it was a matter of great practical 
importance to conceal it, for, if it became known that the 
Brotherhood was making a profit, the Demand on the