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Memoir on Thar and

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of the Hydrabad officials, <strong>and</strong> fear of the b<strong>and</strong>itti, who levied black mail over the length<br />

<strong>and</strong> breadth of the Desert.<br />

112. The rapid increase of the populati<strong>on</strong> of the Thurr <strong>and</strong> Parkur appears to me the<br />

natural <strong>and</strong> gratifying result of British rule. The inhabitants of the Desert, high <strong>and</strong> low,<br />

chiefs, merchants <strong>and</strong> cultivators, <strong>on</strong>e <strong>and</strong> all declare themselves happy <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tented; <strong>on</strong><br />

the occasi<strong>on</strong> of the Commissi<strong>on</strong>er in Sind visiting the districts in 1854, he received <strong>on</strong>e<br />

petiti<strong>on</strong> * <strong>on</strong>ly, I believe, during a tour there of six weeks’ durati<strong>on</strong>, except verbal<br />

petiti<strong>on</strong>s, praying him to leave every thing as he found it. These were called forth by<br />

reports of proposed modificati<strong>on</strong>s in the administrati<strong>on</strong>, <strong>and</strong> of the possibility of the<br />

district being transferred to the Kutch Gadee. Thus the state of society would seem at<br />

present to be most favorable for the rapid increase of its numbers, which will doubtless<br />

c<strong>on</strong>tinue to increase, till checked by <strong>on</strong>e of the many causes known to influence the<br />

increase <strong>and</strong> decrease of populati<strong>on</strong>s. If the present rate of increase c<strong>on</strong>tinue, <strong>and</strong><br />

allowing for less immigrati<strong>on</strong> than hitherto, the populati<strong>on</strong> of the Thurr <strong>and</strong> Parkur will<br />

double itself in 20 years. That of Engl<strong>and</strong> is doubling itself in 52 years; Prussia 26;<br />

Austria 69; France 105. Appendix Q. is an abstract of the populati<strong>on</strong> of the Thurr <strong>and</strong><br />

Parkur.<br />

113. I now proceed to notice the l<strong>and</strong> tenure of the Thurr <strong>and</strong> Parkur districts, <strong>and</strong> in<br />

elucidati<strong>on</strong> of the subject, to extract a few paragraphs of the annual report of those<br />

districts for 1852. The subsequent modificati<strong>on</strong>s lately introduced shall be noticed<br />

hereafter :—<br />

“The greater part of the original l<strong>and</strong>ed proprietors (or Mool Grasseas) are Rajpoots,<br />

whose love of a fixed l<strong>and</strong>ed tenure is too well known to require remark. It may be<br />

c<strong>on</strong>venient firstly to show the tenure <strong>on</strong> which the l<strong>and</strong> is now cultivated, <strong>and</strong> the mode<br />

of assessment in force for collecting the l<strong>and</strong> revenue, together with its inc<strong>on</strong>veniences.<br />

“The Ameers of Sind treated the desert districts as Kalsa, or crown possessi<strong>on</strong>s. I<br />

presume they are c<strong>on</strong>sidered therefore to have retained the proprietary right of the l<strong>and</strong> in<br />

their own h<strong>and</strong>s; that they did so, moreover, is evidenced by their granting certain l<strong>and</strong>s<br />

to different tribes <strong>and</strong> individuals for free cultivati<strong>on</strong>. At the c<strong>on</strong>quest, therefore, the<br />

British Government succeeded to the proprietorship of the soil, without disturbing any of<br />

the rights enjoyed by the chiefs <strong>and</strong> others at that date, whatever they may have possessed<br />

previously. This right was exercised in c<strong>on</strong>firming the grants of l<strong>and</strong> formerly made by<br />

the Ameers, <strong>and</strong> adding thereto fresh grants to others who appeared deserving of<br />

c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>. How far, however, it may be the intenti<strong>on</strong> of Government to recognize the<br />

indefeasible right of the ryots to the l<strong>and</strong> they possess <strong>and</strong> cultivate, is not apparent. The<br />

Rajpoots, especially, would fain look <strong>on</strong> their l<strong>and</strong> as hereditary: much of it has been in<br />

their possessi<strong>on</strong> for many generati<strong>on</strong>s; at present, however, Government is the proprietor<br />

to whom all the cultivators, not specially exempted, pay a share of the produce. So l<strong>on</strong>g<br />

as a cultivator does not desert a field, it would not of course be taken from him ; if,<br />

however, from any unforeseen cause, a cultivator is unable in any <strong>on</strong>e seas<strong>on</strong> to cultivate<br />

what he did the preceding <strong>on</strong>e, he runs the risk of losing the deserted field, as in the<br />

* Vide foot note to paragraph 66; the petiti<strong>on</strong> was for the restituti<strong>on</strong> of Boodesir.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Memoir</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> the Thurr <strong>and</strong> Parkur Districts of Sind. Copyright © www.panhwar.com<br />

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