DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29302#0062
( 28 )
The gross increase is 22 per cent. The demand has been collected
with ease and without coercion: and the people are contented and
well-to-do.
37. The system of land tenure is the same as that of Bharauli, de-
0 , , scribed in paragraph 8 above; with this difference,
that as the tract is more remote and entirely
surrounded by Hill States, and also contains some valuable forest, the
right of the State to all uncultivated land has survived in a stronger
form. The circuits of hamlets, called bhojs in Bharauli, are here known
as pergnnnahs, and in Kotguru as Icothis.
38. If the return of 1834< A.D. is to be trusted, the population has
Tribes and castes of the increased from about 3,600 at that date to 6,400
agriculturists. Appendices now. No doubt the increase has been substan-
No. IIA & D. tial, but the return of 1859 gave nearly the
same population as the present. Two-thirds of the population are
Kanets; of the rest half are Kohlis and the other half Brahmins and
low castes. The entire population is agricultural; and there is no class,
corresponding to the Banias and Khatris of the plains who live solely by
money-lending and shop-keepiug, nor are there any persons deriving
their livelihood solely from cattle grazing. As a rule every man, no
matter what his caste, has his holding, cultivating it himself aud paying
the revenue direct to Government. If he is well off, he can lend on
occasion to his poorer neighbours; or do a little trade in opium : Laying
in Kotkhai and the adjacent tracts, and selling in Ludhiana and Jallan-
dhar. If he is poor, as the Kohlis, Rehrs, or others, he may have no
holding of his own, or ouly a small one, and cultivate for others who
are better off. But iu either case, they are all equally agriculturists.
39. Thus 96 per cent, of the Khalsa lands are cultivated by the
owners themselves ; the holding averaging 4
AnSiZ^hfl0NdlngTTRndrrn3- acres. [This is the true holding, counted by
families, and not by the entry in the Settle-
ment record ; see remarks in Appendix No. IIB.] The tenancies on
Khalsa lauds aggregate only 164 acres, of which 88 acres pay half
produce, 11 acres pay cash rents, and 45 acres pay rent at revenue rates.
These tenancies are so evidently exceptional that I do not remark
further on them.
40. But what Mr. Edwards describes in paragraph 97 of his Report
of 1850 appended as the khas or jagir lands
Bents on assigned lands. 0£ famjqes 0f the former Rana of Kotkhai,
and the maafi lands of the village temples (deotas),* * are of course
mainly cultivated by tenants. They aggregate 418 acres. Of these
171 acres pay no rent, the tenants giving their labour (baith) in return
for their tenancy ; 44 acres pay half produce, and the rest, 203 acres,
pay cash rents. These rents average Rs. If per acre; but they are
Acres cultivated,
* Jagir of Rana’s family ... ...' 452
Deota lands ... ... .... 45
The gross increase is 22 per cent. The demand has been collected
with ease and without coercion: and the people are contented and
well-to-do.
37. The system of land tenure is the same as that of Bharauli, de-
0 , , scribed in paragraph 8 above; with this difference,
that as the tract is more remote and entirely
surrounded by Hill States, and also contains some valuable forest, the
right of the State to all uncultivated land has survived in a stronger
form. The circuits of hamlets, called bhojs in Bharauli, are here known
as pergnnnahs, and in Kotguru as Icothis.
38. If the return of 1834< A.D. is to be trusted, the population has
Tribes and castes of the increased from about 3,600 at that date to 6,400
agriculturists. Appendices now. No doubt the increase has been substan-
No. IIA & D. tial, but the return of 1859 gave nearly the
same population as the present. Two-thirds of the population are
Kanets; of the rest half are Kohlis and the other half Brahmins and
low castes. The entire population is agricultural; and there is no class,
corresponding to the Banias and Khatris of the plains who live solely by
money-lending and shop-keepiug, nor are there any persons deriving
their livelihood solely from cattle grazing. As a rule every man, no
matter what his caste, has his holding, cultivating it himself aud paying
the revenue direct to Government. If he is well off, he can lend on
occasion to his poorer neighbours; or do a little trade in opium : Laying
in Kotkhai and the adjacent tracts, and selling in Ludhiana and Jallan-
dhar. If he is poor, as the Kohlis, Rehrs, or others, he may have no
holding of his own, or ouly a small one, and cultivate for others who
are better off. But iu either case, they are all equally agriculturists.
39. Thus 96 per cent, of the Khalsa lands are cultivated by the
owners themselves ; the holding averaging 4
AnSiZ^hfl0NdlngTTRndrrn3- acres. [This is the true holding, counted by
families, and not by the entry in the Settle-
ment record ; see remarks in Appendix No. IIB.] The tenancies on
Khalsa lauds aggregate only 164 acres, of which 88 acres pay half
produce, 11 acres pay cash rents, and 45 acres pay rent at revenue rates.
These tenancies are so evidently exceptional that I do not remark
further on them.
40. But what Mr. Edwards describes in paragraph 97 of his Report
of 1850 appended as the khas or jagir lands
Bents on assigned lands. 0£ famjqes 0f the former Rana of Kotkhai,
and the maafi lands of the village temples (deotas),* * are of course
mainly cultivated by tenants. They aggregate 418 acres. Of these
171 acres pay no rent, the tenants giving their labour (baith) in return
for their tenancy ; 44 acres pay half produce, and the rest, 203 acres,
pay cash rents. These rents average Rs. If per acre; but they are
Acres cultivated,
* Jagir of Rana’s family ... ...' 452
Deota lands ... ... .... 45