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communistic principles, namely, that the land belongs,
in the first instance, to the nation, and not to the
individual ; and that the government represents the
nation.

The government is, in this sense, regarded as
the superior owner of the whole of the land within
the confines of the territories under its sway, and the
peasantry are regarded primarily as tenants of the
government, Under native rule this principle has
been, and, in some places, is still so firmly established
that no other landed proprietors exist ; the peasantry
are, in fact, as well as in theory, no more than tenants
hereditary tenants perhaps——but still tenants, The
British government has dealt differently with the
country. It has defined and limited the national
rights in the land, and has recognized a distinct
peasant proprietary body. It has limited its demand
for rent to the lowest figure, and has resigned all other
proprietary rights wherever the land has long been
occupied by a definite class of tenants with hereditary
rights, The property is held to be hypothecated to
government for the discharge of this rent. The
amount of this rent has, in Bengal, been fixed in perpetuity
 ; in other parts of India it is revised periodically,
 about every 20 or 30 years, The holders from
government have thus become proprietors, subject
only to the government demand ; and they have
below them tenants of various classes paying rent to
them, For purposes of distinction the rent paid to
government is termed the revenue.