Besides, however, these tenures in this part of India, which, it will be observed, are entirely exempt from the claims or control of zemindars, there were lands held by Polygars, who. in many respects, resemble the zemindars of the Northern Circars. The Polygars' terrritory, as it is called, is situated principally between the I Oth and 1 I th de grees of latitude, and is bounded on the cast by Tanjore and the sea, and on the west by Dindigul. The origin of the pro prietary rights and power of the Polygars may be traced to the same causes which produced the zemindars of the Northern Circars. They were, in fact, military chieftains, who obtained their power and landed property by force, and preserved it by the numbers and strength of their vas sals. Of these there were, in the Polygar countries of My sore, three descriptions : the first consisted of those who were paid entirely in money ; the second of those who possessed lands on service-tenure, but who, being also farmers of other lands, seldom regarded their service lands as of much consequence ; the third description con sisted of such as cnnfined themselves to the cultivation of their service-lands. These vassals were called peons; and the common allowance of a common peon was a field valued at the rent of 6 pagodas. The head peon, who could bring in 10, 50, or 100 common peons, had a piece of land of from 9 to 24 pagodas rent.
In the Tinnevelly district, there are three kinds of te nure, viz. villages, of which the absolute proprietary right is chiefly held by Brahmins ; villages, of which the abso lute proprietary right is chiefly held by soodra inhabitants; and thirdly, villages, which having gone to waste, soodra inhabitants were invited to occupy and cultivate them. The lands uncle'. the first tenure, though nominally vested in the Brahmins, in fact belong to all the inhabitants of the village ; and no transfer is rated that is not approved, and sanctioned by every one of them. At stated periods, it new division of these lands takes place by a hind of lonely ; the object of which seems to be, in the first place, to prevent any proprietor's right being established tq any particular spot ; and, secondly, to afford every in habitant the chance of occupying the fertile as well as the less lertile parts of the land. The villages under the second kind of tenure, resemble those under the first, ex cept that in the former, the influence of the Brahmin pre dominates, who will not permit the soodra to interfere in his village. The last kind of tenure comprises all those lands which the inhabitants are not considered at liberty to sell ; they form a large proportion of the district, and are generally occupied by the soodras. The land of each individual is fixed, there being no new distribution of it at any time. Each Ryot cultivates his own land as long as he possesses the means ; if these fail him, he mortgages his right ol cultivation till he regains the means. When the supply of water is deficient, all the inhabitants assem ble, and having determined the extent of land that may be cultivated, according to the quantity of water in the tanks, Sec. apportion it out to each, with reference to the extent
of land he holds.
In Tanjore, there are also three descriptions of tenure ; first, individual possession; when villages belong to a sin gle individual, who either cultivates them himself by his slaves, or entrusts them to labourers, who receive part of the produce as their wages. The second description re lates to lands possessed by two or more individu each of whom has the same rights in his individual share as those who hold under the first tenure, have in entire villages. The third tenure is possession in copartncry, under which the partners may cultivate their shares them selves, cultivate the whole jointly, employ labourers, or commit their management to one of themselves. In all these cases the produce is divided in proportion to the shares held.
We have thus given a rapid sketch of the various te nures by which landed property is held in most parts of Ilindostan : they are all comprized under the term pottah tenure, or tenure of hereditary possession. There are other lands, however, denominated coos and comer lands. The former are very extensive in some parts of India, con sisting of such lands, as having been neglected, or entirely depopulated, in consequence of the oppression of the col lectors, are under the immediate superintendence of gov ernment. The comer lands are also very common ; they consist of such as having no native tenants, arc cultivated by contract; the zemindar ordaining to the cultivator the necessary capital, and receiving an equal share of the crop as well as interest for the money advanced.
By the act of perpetual settlement, as it is called, the East India Company not only confirmed the zemindars in their proprietary right to the land, on condition of paying the value of a certain part of the produce, but they also fixed the rent to be paid in kind by the Ryots. In no other respect have they interfered with the landed tenure of hi the preceding illustrations, the rent of land has been stated generally to be a certain part of the produce, paid either in kind or in money. In those parts of Hindostan where agriculture flourishes most, the average rent of wheat land, calculated by the stipulated portion of the ave rage produce, taken at an average price, is about 19s. the English acre. The rent of sandy looms, which can be ir rigated with little trouble or expense, reckoned the most favourable for the cultivation of rice, let, in the Coimbetoor district, for three or four guineas per acre ; it they are of interior quality, the rent does not amount to 1. 1 per acre. In other parts of this province, good rice land lets for 1. 2, 7s. per acre ; the worst for I Is. 4d. ;• and dry held land from 5s. 10d. to is. 6d. per acre. Land in Bengal tilt= produces two crops, one of rice, and the other of mustard, or pulse, lets for about a rupee and a half per be gah, or about I Is. 3d. per acre. That which produces one crop, at three•fourths of a rupee per begalt. Good soil he fur kitchen gardens, pays a rent of from 125. to 21s.