Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council, 6th August-14th September,1773

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.

[Page 2651]

1.1. Read the following Letter from the Collector of Purnea

To the Honble Warren Hastings Esq President and Governor Council of Revenue At Fort William
Hon'ble Sir & Sirs,

I have been honoured by the receipts of your Letter under date the 2 Ultimo, requesting me that Madun Dutt one of the head armers of this District was proceeding [...] and that upon his arrival he would settle the Kistbundy for the new year's Revenue.

I have accordingly the pleasure to inform you of his arrival, and that having signed the Kistbundee I hope it will meet with your entire approbation.

I am & C
AB Goodland Collr.

1.2. Agreed we write him the following

To Mr AB Goodlads Collector of Purnea
Sir,

We have received your letter of the 9th Instant.

The kistbundy you have forwarded from the farmers deviates very materially both from the former Custom of the Provinces and what we apprehend to be the period of the Harvest. In the Kistbundee in particular of the Zelah of Dinagepore, for the additional Months which the pay according to the [...] Year the Farmers have increased upon the former Custom Rupees 32,000 and have in general thrown their payments so far back in the year as possible without regard [Page 2653] to the Months in which the produce is realized. We cannot therefore approve of this Kistbundee but transmit you the plan of another which we desire you will get executed by the Farmers.

We are & C

[Page 2726]

1.3. Read the following letter from the Chief & Council at Patna

To the Honble Warren Hastings Esq President of Council of Revenue At Fort William
Honble Sir & Sirs,
[Page 2730]

The rains of this year have been late in setting in, but since their commences have fallen in so incessantly that we apprehend a loss will be sustained in the Budiny Harvest of which we have received [...]of [Page 2731] complaints from suffered peasants of the province.

We are & C
George Hurst Simeon Droz Ewan Law W. Maxwell
[Page 2779]

1.4. And that the following Circular letter be written to the Collectors

To Samuel Middleton Esq Collector of Rajshahy
Sirs,

We desire you will prepare and transmit to us as soon as possible [Page 2780] a return of the numbers of prisoners in your District, [...] under different Heads- agreeable to the enclosed Form.

We are & C
[Page 2780]

1.5. Returns of the Prisoners in Confinement at and under the Jurisdiction Of -------------------------------the Day of---------------------------------------------

  • 3. Prisoners Convicted of Murder
  • Viz
  • Bhoodoo-------- tried on the
  • Ramzannie----------------
  • Ramna------------
  • 5 Prisoners charged with Murder and not yet Brought to a trial
  • 4 Prisoners convicted of Decoyting being professed Decoyts
  • Huzur----------tried on the
  • Bawher
  • Shaker Cawn
  • Doondee Cawn
  • 10 Prisoners charged as professed Decoyts
  • [Page 2781]and not yet brought to a Trial-
  • 5 Prisoners convicted of House Breaking,or Robbery- Viz-
  • Mahomed Wallee- tried on the
  • Ramzanee
  • Zusloo
  • Ramkishen
  • Ramherry
  • 4 Prisoners charged with House Breaking and Robbery, and not yet brought to trials-
  • 2 Prisoners convicted of Fraud or Theft, Viz
  • Ramma
  • Ramkannto
  • 4 Prisoners charged with Fraud or theft and not yet brought to Trials
  • 3 Prisoners convicted of Rape or Adultery
  • Cawn Mahomed
  • Mirza
  • Ramzanne
  • 7 Prisoners charged with Rape
  • 10 Prisoners convicted of assault & other petty Crimes [...]
  • [Page 2782]27 Prisoners charged with [...]
  • 17 Prisoners confined with Debt on execution
  • 32 Prisoners confined for claims of Debt

1.6. Agreed we sign it & that the Superintendent do deliver it to the Talookdar

The Superintendent lays before the Board the following Petition presented at the Khalsa from the Farmers of the Pergunnahs of Mujjourah & Balliah & beg leave at the same time to acquaint them that the stoppage of the Water which the Farmers complain of is occasioned by the continuance of the Temporary Bridge which was thrown over Surman’s Nullah, until the new bridge was built. The latter [Page 2827] been long since finished the Former is become useless, and unless the obstruction which it occasions is removed, considerable damage may be expected in the lands of the Farmers of the above mentioned Purgunnahs. The Superintendent however would propose with the Boards approbation that whatever Orders they think necessary on the occasion may issue to the Chief Engineer, who will be the best Judge of the Proper manner of opening the Temporary Bridge and letting off the Waters without creating any other Inconvenience.

1.6.1. Read the Farmer Petition as follows

Translation of a Petition from the Farmers of the Muggoora Purgunnah

The Purgunnah Muggoora being overflowed from the Stopping of the [...] at Kidderpore [Page 2828] there is no passage left for the Water to [...] off by. I therefore petition to have the said Kall laid open as it was before that the Paddy may not be destroyed and that the Reiats may not have any cause of Backwardness in the Payment of the Revenue.

A true translation Ordered that the Secretary do write to the Chief Engineer to the following Effect.

[Page 2829]
That a Petition has been preferred to the Board by some of the Farmers of the Company’s lands selling forth that by the Stoppage of Surmans Nullah the waters are thrown back upon the country and likely to produce considerable Damage. That the Board understand the Stoppage to be occasioned by the Continuance of the Temporary Bridge which was constructed over the Nullah until the New Bridge was built. That the latter having been long since finished the former [Page 2830] is become useless, & that to prevent therefore the Considerable loss which threatens the revenue, the Board have determined to have the Temporary Bridge opened so as to be let the Waters pass off. That we have entrusted the service to him(the Chief Engineer) as he will be the best judge of doing it in such manner as may avoid as much possible creating any other Inconvenience. But that they require it to be executed with all expedition as every day the Obstruction remains the risk is enhanced of lands being inundated.

Ordered that a Copy of this Minute be transmitted to the Superintendent for his Information and that he may satisfy the Farmers accordingly.

J.Graham
This is a selection from the original text

Keywords

authority, crime, farmer, harvest, paddy, rain, revenue, water

Source text

Title: Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council, 6th August-14th September,1773, Revenue Board Consisting of the Whole Council

Original date(s) covered: 1773

Provenance/location: This text was transcribed from manuscripts at the West Bengal State Archives. Original date(s) covered: 1773 West Bengal State Archive

Digital edition

Language: English

Selection used:

  • 1 ) page 2620
  • 2 ) pages 2651 to 2653
  • 3 ) page 2726
  • 4 ) pages 2730 to 2731
  • 5 ) pages 2779 to 2782
  • 6 ) pages 2827 to 2830

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