Seonath is a highly respectable and amiable man; but he is very
delicate in health, and, in consequence, deficient in the vigour and
energy required to manage so turbulent a district. He has, however, a
deputy in Kidder Nath, a relative, who has all the ability, vigour,
and energy required, if well supported and encouraged by the Oude
Durbar. He was deputy under Dilla Ram for many years, and the same
under Hoseyn Allee last year. He is a man of great intelligence and
experience; and one of the best officers of the Oude Government that
I have yet seen.
There are two kinds of recognised perquisites which landholders enjoy
in Oude and in most other parts of India--the _nankar_ and the _seer_
land. The _nankar_ is a portion of the recognised rent-roll
acknowledged by the ruler to be due to the landholder for the risk,
cost, and trouble of management, and for his perquisite as hereditary
proprietor of the soil when the management is confided to another. It
may be ten, twenty, or one hundred percent upon the rent-roll of the
estate, which is recognised in the public accounts, as the holder
happens to be an object of fear or of favour, or otherwise; and the
real rent-roll may be more or less than that which is recognised in
the public accounts. The actual rent which the landholder receives
may increase with improvements, and he may conceal the improvement
from the local authorities, or bribe them to conceal it from
Government; or it may diminish from lands falling out of tillage, or
becoming impoverished by over-cropping, or from a diminution of
demand for land produce; and the landholder may be unable to satisfy
the local authorities of the fact, or to prevail upon them to
represent the circumstance to Government.
Pages:
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522