Board of Revenue Proceedings, 29th April, 1788

About this text

Introductory notes

The early records preserved in the West Bengal State Archive pertains to the administration of the land revenue system by the East India Company. The Company attained the revenue rights of the Province through the Grant of Diwani in 1765. The records in the repositories of the Archive date back to the Select Committee Records in 1768. In the early the revenue administration was managed by various intermediary agencies, these committees reflect the early experiments and confusion of the East India Company over revenue collection.

The Court of Directors decided to reconsider the revenue administration in 1785. On this line the Court wrote in their General Letter, dated 21st September, 1785, that, there would be a Board of Revenue comprising of one of Junior Member of Council, and four other senior servants of the Company. The department would manage the whole administration of settlement, collection and receipt of every branch of the Revenue department together. The Board of Revenue at the Fort William operated from 1786 to 1822.

Selection details

The Court of Directors decided to reconsider the revenue administration in 1785. On this line the Court wrote in their General Letter, dated 21st September, 1785, that, there would be a Board of Revenue comprising of one of Junior Member of Council, and four other senior servants of the Company. The department would manage the whole administration of settlement, collection and receipt of every branch of the Revenue department together. The Board of Revenue at the Fort William operated from 1786 to 1822.

1.

[Page 422]

1.1. Read the following Letter and Enclosure from the Collector of Beerbhom

To John Shore Esq President & Members of the Board of Revenue Fort William Gentlemen,

I have the honor to transmit you the Report of my second assistant Mr Arbuthnot, deputed to examine the Damages sustained in Sooroopsing Pergunnahs by the Inundation.

I am & c
T. Sherburne, Collecr.

1.2.

[Page 423]
To Mr T Sherburne Esq Collector of Beerbhoom Sir,

I have now the pleasure to enclose you an abstract statemaent of the Damages done in Sooroopsing, Durry Molissore, Saveek Molissore, Isserpookah, Cootoobpoor & Allynagore- the account particular of each village [...] and in a day or two. The amount taken in the abstract appears large, but when you consider the loss of each Individual is but trifling. They are entitled to no Remissions as they will be highly recompensed by the price of Grain this year. The Land covered with sand is gone forever and never again can be brought into cultivation. I am therefore of opinion it should be [Page 424] struck off the Ryotts Jummah next year on their taking an equal quantity of pateet Land. The loss in cattle is very inconsiderable, but I wish [...]say as much of their houses. On my arrival in Sooroopsing there was no House standing and the Ryotts had all deserted to avoid oppression from the Farmers. I brought them back, encouraged them to go on with their Rubbee Fussil and advanced Tuccavee as enclosed account. The Tuccavee is to be repaid in Chisti, the Mundols of the Villages are securities and the Farmers have engaged to Collect it.

I am & c
George Arbuthnot, Assistant
[Page 425]
This is a selection from the original text

Keywords

cultivation, farmer, grain, inundation, oppression, remission, ryot

Source text

Title: Board of Revenue Proceedings, 29th April, 1788, Board of Revenue Proceedings

Subtitle: Volume 34.2

Original date(s) covered: 1788

Provenance/location: This text was transcribed from manuscripts at the West Bengal State Archives. Original date(s) covered: 1788 West Bengal State Archive

Digital edition

Language: English

Selection used:

  • 1 ) page 422
  • 1 ) pages 423 to 425

Responsibility:

Texts collected by: Ayesha Mukherjee, Amlan Das Gupta, Azarmi Dukht Safavi

Texts transcribed by: Muhammad Irshad Alam, Bonisha Bhattacharya, Arshdeep Singh Brar, Muhammad Ehteshamuddin, Kahkashan Khalil, Sarbajit Mitra

Texts encoded by: Bonisha Bhattacharya, Shreya Bose, Lucy Corley, Kinshuk Das, Bedbyas Datta, Arshdeep Singh Brar, Sarbajit Mitra, Josh Monk, Reesoom Pal

Encoding checking by: Hannah Petrie, Gary Stringer, Charlotte Tupman

Genre: India > official correspondence > state archives > West Bengal

For more information about the project, contact Dr Ayesha Mukherjee at the University of Exeter.

Acknowledgements