Academic Discourse

Before attempting a discussion on the land policy or economic policy of the British, it is necessary to study in brief about the land policy, which was in vogue before their advent. There was village community in Haryana instead of Zamindar, which held the entire village land in common. The Muqaddams, the managers and leaders of the villages adjusted the quota of each sharer and collected the governments share and deposited it in the government treasury through the agency of the Qanungo, the lowest government official deputed to collect revenues of a Pargana. It is very difficult to calculate the Government's share of revenue collected by the Muqaddam, as it varied from place to place and time to time, because of its geographical condition. But in any case the Government's assessment (Jama) in those days never exceeded from 1/6 to 1/4 of the gross produce. At many times, especially during the Mughal era, the collection (Hasil) made were less than these rates. In Akbar's reign the Hasil of a Jagir in Sunam (Hissar) was many times less than its Jama. During the reign of Shahjhan and Aurangzeb the same practice was followed. ‘On the other hand ’, says Irfan Habib, the difference between them was recognized for a fact and the annually changing ratio between the receipts and the standing assessment was marked out for each Mahal (village) and expressed in terms of month-proportions (Mahawar). Thus where the current Hasil equaled half Jama, the Jagir was styled ‘six monthly ’(Shahmaha), where it was one fourth, ‘three monthly ’(Sihmaha) and so on. After the death of Aurangzeb, even this practice could not continue and the people hardly paid any revenue at all unless forced to do so militarily.