Memoir on Thar and

“13. The free cultivation of a field or two to each Potail, will ensure the
cooperation of that class, which might be taken advantage of to make them the
Government representatives, as it were, in their little communities.
“14. The alienated lands will not of course be affected in any way by the new
assessment, though a nominal assessment should be made, to enable the value of
the alienation to be brought to account. Of alienated lands, there are several
kinds; none, however, that are now cultivated free should be taxed, provided the
free cultivation has been sanctioned, which I believe it all has, except perhaps
that cultivated by the Khosas, whose right to free cultivation is prescriptive, and
should be acknowledged, as it has hitherto been.
115. Under the old assessment system, the Kardars were obliged to visit and record the
particulars of the assessment of each field annually, as stated above, and the information
thus recorded was of material use in carrying out the new arrangements.
116. The survey of Parkur, which it was intended to carry out simultaneously with the
measuring of the fields in the Thurr, was not proceeded with, owing to the difficulty of
obtaining the services of a qualified surveyor. The measuring of the fields of the Thurr,
however, was completed in December 1855; and Mr. Shortt, Acting Deputy Collector,
immediately, afterwards visited the districts, and personally fixed the assessment. He
observes * on the subject:—
“In fixing the amount of the assessment for the Deepla and Mittee Kardarates, I
have been guided by the following considerations: —
“1stly.— What an average amount of produce for each field, in an average year,
would be in grain.
“2ndly.— What an average of the price of grain for some years back would be.
And converting the produce into money at this rate, have taken a fourth, as
suggested in the 8th paragraph of Sind Commissioner’s letter under reply, for the
Government share as fixed assessment.
“Besides this, the merits of each field have been separately considered and fixed,
in reference to its local advantages or otherwise.”
117. Regarding the tenure of the land, Mr. Shortt observes in a subsequent paragraph:—
“I have fixed the leases of the present settlement at 10 years. This was the period
chosen by the people themselves throughout the district, and it appears to me to
be as good a term as could have been fixed on. There can be no doubt of the
lightness of the present assessment, and were the cultivators to take advantage of
it, they would benefit in proportion; but their natural supineness will, I fear,
prevent their doing so for some time. Agriculture here too is in its most primitive
* In letter No. 98 of 1856, dated 8th March, to Commissioner in Sind.
<strong>Memoir</strong> on the Thurr and Parkur Districts of Sind. Copyright © www.panhwar.com
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