OUDH. 503 not mere middle-nien, emploved by the State to collect revenue from the cultivators. Many of them heads of powerful clans, and representatives of ancient families, they were, in truth, a feudal aristocracy, based upon rights in the soil which went back to traditional times and were heartily acknowledged by their dependants. At the date of annexation, 23,500 villages, or about two-thirds of the total area of the Province, were in their possession; and at this day they liold and own nearly 60 per cent of the area. The new Settlement after the annexation paid no regard to their claims. The great estate of Malárajá Ján Singh, which included 577 villages, and paid a revenue of $20,000, was reduced by the stroke of a pen to 6 villages ; and the Mahárájá was left with an income of £300. Another ancient estate lost 266 villages out of 378; in a third, 155 villages were confiscated out of 204; the result of the summary assessment thus made diately after annexation was a demand of £1,054,800 land revenue. While this work of disinheritance was going on, the Mutiny suddenly stopped operations. But it is not difficult to understand why in Oudh alone almost the entire mass of the landowning classes joined the Sepoys, and the mutiny became a rebellion. When order was at last restored, in March 1858, Lord Canning, as Governor-General, issued his celebrated proclaination, confiscating the proprietary right in the whole soil of Oudh. The task of building up from the foundation a new system of land administration was entrusted Sir Robert Montgomery, the first Commissioner after the Mutiny, and was finally carried into execution in 1859 by his successor, Sir Charles Wingfield. The principle adopted was to restore to the trilukdiírs all that they had at the tinie of annexation possessed, but in such a manner that their rights should depend upon the immediate grant of the British Government. They were invited to come to Lucknow, under promise of a safe-conduct. About two-thirds of the number accepted this invitation, and there concluded political arrangements with the Governnient, defining the mutual obligations of either party. On the one hand, the télukdúrs bound themselves to level all forts, give up arms, and act loyally; to pay punctually the revenue assessed upon them and the wages of the village officials, and to assist the police in keeping order. On the other hand, the British Government conserred a right of property, unknown alike to Hindu or Muhammadan law, comprising full power of alienation by will, and succession according to primogeniture in case of intestacy. The land revenue demand was fixed at one-half the gross rental ; subordinate tenure-holders were confirmed in their ancient privileges; and a clause was introduced to protect the actual cultivators from extortion. Such were the main features of the sanads issued by Sir C. Wingfield in October 1859, which constitute the land system of Oudh to the present
