Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council, 7th June-24th June, 1774

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. Between 1769 and 1786 the revenue administration was managed by various intermediate agencies like the Resident at the Durbar, Provincial Council of Revenue, the Calcutta Committee of Revenue. 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.

On May 1772, the Court of Directors decided to hand the revenue administration to a board, consisting of the President and four other members, while the title of the supervisor was changed to that of the Collector. The whole council that was constituted, to sit two days in the week, or if necessary more; the members of the council were appointed to act as auditors of accounts, each a week in rotation, The Revenue Board in the Whole Council continued to operate till 1774.

Selection details

On May 1772, the Court of Directors decided to hand the revenue administration to a board, consisting of the President and four other members, while the title of the supervisor was changed to that of the Collector. The whole council that was constituted, to sit two days in the week, or if necessary more; the members of the council were appointed to act as auditors of accounts, each a week in rotation, The Revenue Board in the Whole Council continued to operate till 1774.

1.

1.1.

[Page 89]
To the Hon’ble Warren Hastings Esq President and Council of Revenue Fort William
Hon’ble Sir & Sirs,

In Pergunnah Chopard of Sirier Sarun situated on the north west Boundary of the Province adjoining to Gaurackpoor the Narroonas a cast of Rajpoot Hindoos possessed a Talook to the amount of about 15,000 Rupees mallguzarry in which they supported themselves in a manner independent of the Aumils & in the year 1179 being called upon for their Rents they, collected together a party and suddenly fell upon Shiqh Ameer Ulla whom they murdered with the officers of the Cutcherry, there were upon this drove out of the Country and their Zemindarry given over to Abdull Setar Khaan and to other Zemindarry they have since at different times made attempt to plunder and disturb the Collections ___ were kept in some awe by the Sepoys Stationed at [...] place near their Talook- The number of Sepoys being reduced the Station was removed, The Narronas upon this came out of the Jungles where they were concealed and after several incursions they at last attacked [Page 90] Abdull Satar Khaan in the night and killed eight of his people, he himself escaping with his life. In the [...] Sardha Singh one of the heads of the Banditts was mortallhy wounded and afterwards taken Prisoner in a village to which he had retired with his son and three brothers. He has since died of his wounds, the son and brothers have been sent into Patna. We have been obliged to apply to Captain John Grant for two Companies of Sepoys to repulse the Narronas and quiet the alarm which this attack has raised in this part of the Country. As the Narronas are a most desperate set of Villains we would recommend those who have fallen into our hands being publickly executed on the spot, such an example appearing necessary to deter others and support the authority of Government.

We are & ca

[Page 91]

1.2. Agreed that we write to the Patna Council in answer as follows

To Tho.s Lane Esq Chief Provincial Council Of Revenue at Patna
Gentlemen,
[Page 97]

We have received also your Letter of the 30th Ultimo and as we agree with you in opinion that the Narrownas who have been taken Prisoners should be made public Examples of, we have requested the President [...] for that purpose procure the necessary orders to be issued from the Nazamut to the naib of the Subah of Behar.

We are & c

This is a selection from the original text

Keywords

administrator, collector, killing, murder, plunder, revenue, zamindar

Source text

Title: Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council, 7th June-24th June, 1774, Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council

Original date(s) covered: 1774

Provenance/location: This text was transcribed from manuscripts at the West Bengal State Archives. Original date(s) covered: 1774 West Bengal State Archive

Digital edition

Language: English

Selection used:

  • 1 ) pages 89 to 90
  • 2 ) page 91
  • 3 ) page 97

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