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the land was originally owned by a mass of Peasant Proprietors. These men used to pay the land tax to the Government Officers. But not unfrequently the Native governments would contract for the land revenue in whole villages, or in groups of villages, with feudal chiefs. In such a case the chief had the right of collecting the revenue, instead of the Government, from the proprietors of the land. The proceeds of such collection, after payment of the stipulated sum to the Government, constituted his profit. So far his position was clear; but that did not affect the position of the proprietors, which remained just the same as it had been under the Government, before the assignment of the land tax to him. Now this state of things, originally equitable, became liable to abuse. If the Tálukdár was strong and despotic, if the times were troublous and warlike, and if the Native government was feeble and inefficient, the proprietors were often elbowed out of their proprietary position. The Tálukdár grew into a superior proprietor, the land tax in his hands was turned into rent, which he collected, and out of which he paid the revenue, retaining the remainder in his own hands. Then the original proprietors sank to the position of inferior proprietors, or of tenants with occupancy rights. This process was in a transition state when British rule was introduced. In some cases it had been accomplished beyond hope of retrieval, that is, the proprietors had for a long time been subjugated, and the Tálukdár had securely established himself as