Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/514

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a compafatively small number of cases but there are only 1,059 cases now remaining for decision, and it is gratifying to find that the average value of the interest secured to the old proprietors is considerably larger than was The average yearly profit on sir is Ks. 31-8-0 per man. at first anticipated.

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result of the judicial action of the settlement courts in this diswith respect to the claims of the original owners of the soil, is therefore nearly this Two-thirds of the area are in taluqas. Of this, upwards of one- third has been decreed' in sub-settlement, on terms which secure each member of the former proprietary bodies a privilege of the yearly value of at least twenty-two rupees and a quarter. In one-third the ex-proprietors have been already decreed sir lands, which yield each an The remaining average yearly rental of thirty-one rupees and a half third is to a considerable extent land which is the hereditary and peculiar property of the taluqdars themselves. The gross rental of the taluqa villages has been estimated at Rs. 22,37,582. Of this the Government takes Rs. 11,41,726, the ex-proprietors have been decreed Rs. 2,78,381, and Rs. 8,17,475 remain to the taluqdars, from which have to be met the claims of shankalpdars and other sub-proprietary tenants."

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however, too much reason to fear that the condition of these sub-tenures is by no means so prosperous as has been sub-tenure is, it must be remem^^°^® related. h^S!"*^ bered, a copyhold included in the taluqdar's fief The sub-proprietor pays a percentage upon the Government revenues of from 10 to 50 per cent. Many of these sub-tenures were determined by the courts after long litigation, others were agreed upon by the parties but the agreement entered into or the decree was not a definite one determining the exact payments. The proportion or percentage upon the Government revenue, then an unknown quantity, was alone determined. The amount of the payment to the taluqdar depended upon the amount of the land revenue payable by him in its fixation the sub-proprietors, the persons most concerned, had no voice. The taluqdar, whose interest it was in this case that the revenue should be a high one, treated with the settlement officer, who will generally assess too high unless he is confronted by an intelligent and interested opponent. The consequence is that the revenues before these copyholds were generally. fixed very high, and the rents payable by the owners, of course, mounted still higher: special arrangements have been made by Government to amend this.

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