P UNJ,,IB LAND PI?IOE$ 891 rights gave land a average price paid acres was ?en rupees marke? for over per value, a aoro? times ?he annual land revenue, In 1869-70 [he hundred [housand equivalen[ ?o By 1875-6, i[ 81 times [he 18 had land denied multiple" of 86 times [he land revenue. O[her fac[ors which a[ [his time exer[ed marked canals. bring [he price in as [ho " unprece- sold increased and 'The effect of the a influence on land prices were railways and The firs? railway in t. he province was corn- menced in 1858 and was opened for ?raffic in 1862. The line from Lahore, ?he capital, ?o Mul?an, which then had a connection by s?eamer wi?h' Karachi, was opened is 1865 and ?he province was linked up wi?h Bombay and Calcutta in 1888, by which time ?here were abou? 1,100 miles open for ?raffic. Inundation canals existed before and were rapidly ex?ended afterwards. schemes were rapidly pu? in hand. Canal was opened in 1859 and ?he 1870, The vigorous extension of canals and con- s?ucfion of railways crea?ed a grea? demand for labor which wss further intensified by ?he Afghan war of 1879-80. Prices rose considerably and in spi?e of ?he severe famine of 1868-9 and ?he scarcity of 1877-78, ?he' cultivating classes increased in pro,s- peri?y. The railway enabled large amounts of gram to be experled [o Bengal in 1878 and [o Madras in 1876 on [he' occasions of famine conditions in [hose two Presidencies, and shortly afterwards [he European ?he annexation
Big irrigation
The Bari Doab Sirhind Canal in rainfall, and bad crops, the the price fell to Rs, 17 an reduction of assessments 1882 ?o wha? was ?hen was ?o regarded risen ?o Rs. 20 per acze or revenue. This rise was probably connected wi?h ?he heavy expor? of grain ?o famine s?ricken Madras. I n ?he nex? few years the province experienced shor?
