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Peasants, Zamindars And The State
Cash or Kind?
The Ain on land revenue collection : Let him (the amil-guzar) not make it a practice of taking only in cash but also in kind. The latter is affected in several ways. First kankut : in the Hindi language kan signifies grain, and kut, estimates... If any doubts arise, the crops should be cut and estimated in three lots, the good, the middling, and the inferior, and the hestitation removed. Often, too, the land taken by appraisement, gives a sufficiently accurate return. Secondly, batai, also called bhaoli, the crops are reaped and stacked and divided by agreement in the presence of the parties. But in this case several intelligent inspectors are required; otherwise, the evil-minded and false are given to deception. Thirdly, khet-batai, when they divide the fields after they are sown. Fourthly, lang batai, after cutting the grain, they form it in heaps and divide it among themselves, and each takes his share home and turns it to profit.
Questions:
(i) Name the four methods of assessing the land revenue.
(ii) What are the two forms of paying the land revenue?
(iii) Which of the four methods according to you is best suited for the farmer and why?
(iv) Explain Jama and Hasil. (Sample Paper)
Answers:
(i) The following are the four methods to determine the land revenue:
(i) Kankut, (ii) batai, (iii) khet batai and (iv) lang batai.
(ii) There are two methods to pay the land revenue—cash and kind (production).
(iii) The best method for the farmers was kankut. The main reason for it was that the assessment of land on estimation yielded the best result. The other methods had a few flaws to some extent.
(iv)‘Jama’ was the amount fixed in lieu of the land revenue. ‘Hasil’ meant the amount received because sometimes it was not possible to receive all the amount. It often occurred whenever the crop was damaged due to some natural calamity.
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