Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/193

LAND HOLDINGS 181 i? is governed by ?he Hindu law of inheritance which has, I believe, ?he n?os? fissiparous tendency of any known law of inheritance, giving each male member of a family an equal share of ?he family proper?y from the ?ime of his bir?h, and allowing him ?o claim ? partition of his share a? any time. In some co_nn?ries ?he idea of considerable sub-division of land finds favor as ?ending ?o a widespread and equitable distribution of wealth and opportunity amongs? a large number of persons, and as giving ?o a large proportion who cultivate ?he land a direc? of ?he interes? in be realised of general of holdings, people and at?achmen? ?o ?ha? there arguments and i? is are a in favor enly when becomes very excessive tha? indicated. l?'ragme, tation of ?he land. I? will ?hus considerable number of the this remedial sub-division sub-division action is clearly holdi?gs, on ?he o?her hand, is an tinmitigated evil for which, ! believe, no advantages can be claimed. I? consists .of ?he spli?ing ap of a single holding in?o a number of separate plots, often situated a? a distance from each o?her. I? arises no? directly from ?he Hindu law of inheritance, bu? from customs connected wi?h the Hindu law of inheritance, and has i?s origin in a desire ?o provide an automatic method of securing a mathematically accurate partition o! a holding amongs? ?he heirs. Thus supposing ?hat a man dies holding nine acres of land divided in?o three plo?s of ?hree acres each, i? migh? be hoped ?ha? each and leaves son would ?hree sons, ?ake a solid plot of ?hree acres, se?ling wi?h ?he o?hers in money the balance .arising from any difference in ?he q?ali?y ?! the differen? plo?s. This, however, seldom happens; but, on ?he con?rary, each plo? would be spli? up in?o three sub-plots of one acre each, and a s?b-plot in each place assigned I,o each heir, so tha? ?he ?hree hold.