134 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA 
the staff employed under the Diwan, which consisted of 
three sections, the Amins, whose primary business was 
assessment, the Kroris, who were concerned mainly with 
collection, and the Treasurers, who handled the money when 
it was received. These subordinates were posted to circles 
(chakla), which were not identical with the districts of 
Akbar’s time, but were presumably arranged with reference 
to the amount of work. 
The motive underlying the first order is the need for 
increased control over this localised staff: the central 
authority complained that it was kept in ignorance of 
agricultural conditions, and was not in a position to check 
the reports which it received. The preamble of the order 
allows us to see what had been happening; a sanguine as- 
sessment would be made at the beginning of each year, 
but the collections were apt to be disappointing, and the 
deficiency would be explained, on paper, as due to allowance 
for calamities, which were suspected to be fraudulent in- 
ventions. In order to put the administration in a stronger 
position, instructions were now issued for the submission 
of more detailed annual returns for each village; but the 
opportunity was taken of codifying the practice of the de- 
partment, and it is this portion of the document which 
gives it historical value. 
Following the order in which the subject-matter is ar- 
ranged, we may begin with the development policy of the 
Ministry. This follows closely on the lines with which we 
have become familiar. Extension of cultivation comes 
first, then increase in the area under high-class crops, then 
the repair and construction of wells for irrigation. Peasants 
who co-operated actively in carrying out this policy were 
to be treated with consideration, and their reasonable 
requests for assistance were to be met; but the idea of cul- 
tivation as a duty owed to the State was still paramount, 
and flogging was specifically authorised in cases where 
this duty was neglected (R. 2; H. 1-3). The operation of 
such rules as these would necessarily depend to a great 
extent on the individuality of the local officials; since ex- 
tension of cultivation and increase of revenue were the 
declared aims of the Ministry, its staff must have been