LAND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION.
In 1796 the zamindars who had been dispossessed by him were recalled and given temporary leases for their ancient estates during their good behaviour, the Anakápalle taluk and some adjacent tracts were transferred from the Vizianagram estate to the havíli land; and the rest of the late Rája's property was rented at an enhanced peshkash, also temporarily, to his son. The limits and designations of the three divisions into which the district had been arranged were revised in the same year and then stood as follows : (a)'the First division,' which included the Vizagapatam and Kasimkóta havíli land; {b)'the Second division,' comprising the Vizianagram estate and the restored zamindaris; and (c)'the Third division,' made up of the Chicacole and Tekkali havíli land and the Kimedi zamindari, the two latter of which now form part of Ganjám.
The zamindaris, with few exceptions, were subsequently leased for sums which varied every year and were seldom punctually paid. The havíli land was treated on no fixed principles and the settlements constantly varied. For the most part it was let out annually village by village to the headmen, the Government share of the produce being commuted into money at current or average prices; but this arrangement was based on no survey, and was therefore imperfect, and it did little to protect the cultivators from oppression by the headmen.
The evils arising from these fluctuating and temporary arrangements hurried on the introduction of the Permanent Settlement, which at this time was in high favour in Bengal and was being forced upon Madras by the Government of India.
The elaborate instructions of the Board of Revenue to Collectors in the Northern Circars regarding the methods of arranging this settlement were issued in October 1799. Briefly epitomized, these directed that the existing zamindars should be constituted proprietors of their estates upon a permanent peshkash, and that the havíli land should also be carved up into properties which should be similarly settled in perpetuity and sold by auction. In calculating the peshkash the statistics of gross revenue given by the Circuit Committee were to be taken as the general standard, and, after deducting from these the receipts from land-customs, abkári and salt (which were thenceforth to be taken under Government administration) and excluding all inams except those enjoyed by the village establishments and all allowances made for the upkeep of police, the demand was to be fixed at not less than two-thirds (taking all the estates together)of the remainder. Uncultivated arable and waste lands were to
169
