VIZAGAPATAM.
of the revenue, liable to ejectment from their properties if they failed to pay their peshkash, subject to petty indignities from a horde of insolent subordinates and obliged to conform to a series of new regulations and laws. For years the zamindars were in a chronic state of discontent and disaffection, and at last, in 1832, the disturbances in this district and in the Parlákimedi zamindari of Ganjám rose to such a height that, as has been recounted on p. 57, Government were compelled to appoint Mr. Russell as (Special Commissioner to repress them, arming him with extraordinary powers and a large military force. The action he took against the three most obstreperous of the malcontents — Vírabhadra Rázu of Kásipuram, Páyaka Rao of Páyakaraopéta and the zamindar of Pálkonda — is referred to in the account of those places in Chapter XV below.
In 1833 the Pálkonda zamindari was forfeited for rebellion and (with the Honzarám proprietary estate, which had been bought in by Government at a sale for arrears in 1811) was made into the existing Government taluk of Pálkonda.
The proprietary estates of Sarvasiddhi and Vémulapúdi and the Rájala subdivision of Panchadhárala (Chípurupalle) had already been bought in for arrears in 1831; in 1833 Kottakóta, and in 1837 Golgonda (see p. 249), suffered a like fate; while in 1844 Ráyavaram was transferred to Government by its owner and Kondakarla, Dimila and the Kottúr and Veluchúru-Kodúr subdivisions of Panchadhárala were also bought in for arrears. Golgonda Kottakóta and Vémulapúdi were formed into the existing Government taluk of Golgonda and the other estates made up the Sarvasiddhi taluk. Some account of the others of the sixteen ancient zamindaris and twenty-three proprietary estates included in the district at the permanent settlement which still survive as such, will be found in Chapter XV below and may be traced through the index. Of the fourteen ancient zamindaris which remained after Pálkonda was forfeited and Golgonda sold up, two (Belgám and Mérangi) were afterwards partitioned and one (Chemudu) passed by sale from the family of the holder at the permanent settlement. The other eleven have been declared by Act II of 1904 to be inalienable and impartible.They descend to the eldest son. The proprietary estates, which follow the ordinary Hindu rules of co-parcenary, have in some cases been bought and sold, amalgamated and divided, in a somewhat bewildering manner.
Since 1834 the district has twice been placed under a Special Commissioner owing to exceptional circumstances. In 1849, in
172
