Proceedings of the Committee of Circuit, 7th July-20th August, 1772
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. These committees reflect the early experiments and confusion of the East India Company over revenue collection.
The Committee of Circuit was founded on 14th May 1772 and it continued to operate till February 1773. On August, 1771, the Directors of the Company, instructed the Company to take upon itself the entire care and management of the revenue. There upon, Warren Hastings, formed a Committee of the Board,, consisting of himself and four members to settle the land revenue in the various districts on the spot.
Selection details
The Committee of Circuit was founded on 14th May 1772 and it continued to operate till February 1773. On August, 1771, the Directors of the Company, instructed the Company to take upon itself the entire care and management of the revenue. There upon, Warren Hastings, formed a Committee of the Board,, consisting of himself and four members to settle the land revenue in the various districts on the spot.
1.
1.1. Representations of the Ryots of the Pegunnah of [...], Havily Poorneah, Sultanpur, Serpoor, Surjahpoor, [...] and Tajipoor in the Districts of Tajipoor, Purnea
That Raja Deby sing having been appointed the superintendent of the province encourage the Ryotts to [...]
In the beginning of the year of the famine he purchased the produce of the farmers in an under price of two maunds of rice and [...] place two and half maunds of rupees and towards the end of the year he sent his people who violently broke open the [...] took the Rice at one maund each Rupee and some places thirty seer and having loaded it in bullocks of and transported it to his own Granaries at Purnea he [...] it at the rate of three or four seer the Rupee .
As a principal Charge alleged in these Representation against Raja Deby Sing is the commission of many glaring acts of Extortion and oppression in the purchase and Sale of grain during the Famine which the court of directors have sent us the most express and preventory orders for making a [...] scrutiny and [...] example of all offenders and as the other accusations are also of such a Nature as to demand in immediate enquiry.
1.2. The following records are illegible.
Copy of extracts from the Company’s commands, received through the Lapwig, authorizing the Committee to select in the place of Muhammad Riza Khan, a man specially interested in Company’s welfare to be appointed a minister(naib subah) of the Government at the Nawab’s court and guardian of the Nawab, on an annual salary not exceeding three lakhs of rupees whose duties will be to transact the political affairs of the sarkar and to see that the Nawab’s stipend is strictly utilized for his own purposes.- CCP-74-76,, 11th July
From- Kashimbazar, Copy of a letter to the Council of Calcutta, stating that an advertisement has been published in regard to the enquiry to be held into the conduct of the Company’s servants during the famine of 1770; and suggesting that the Bombay Presidency may be asked to draw on the Presidency of Fort William, as this mode would entail less loss on account of exchange besides being more secure.- CCP 122-23, 25th July.
From London, Extract from a General Letter from the Court of Directors by the lapwig complaining of the gross negligence on the part of the servants of the Company in preventing the oppression of the raiyats who were deprived of their foodstuff at the time of the famine, by the generality of English gentlemen, who have accused not only of monopolizing grain but also of compelling the poor raiyats to sell the seed requisite for the next harvest.-CCP, 125-27, 25th July.
From Maidapur, Copy of an extract from a letter from the Chief at the Darbar, date Maidapur the 18th June, 1770, to the Select Committee depreceating the abuses of power by native officers dependent n Englishmen.- CCP 127, 25th July.
Representation of Prabhuram, vakil to Indranarayan, zamindar and Hari Singh, naib to Mayanath and to the widow of Lakshminath kanungos,of the district of Purnea complaining of the oppression upon the zamindars and the raiyats, by Raja Debi Singh, nazim of the district, and praying that he may be replaced by a better man to save the district from desolation and to improve the condition of its revenue.-CCP - 196-197, OC 5th Aug No.3
Representation of Raja Partab Singh, zamindar of pargana Dharampur in the district of Nurhat, complaining against Raja Debi Singh, who at the time of the famine, forcibly took away grain from the raiyats at a low rate and sold it for his own profit at a very high price and increased the rate of rent; and praying that Debi Singh may be removed and a better man appointed to protect the country and improve the revenue. CCP-198-200, OC 5th Aug, No-4
Representation of the raiyats of pargana Dharampur, haveli Purnea, Sripur, Sultanpur,Surjyapur, Asja Badaur and Tajpur in the districts of Tajpur and Purnea. Complaining that Raja Debi Singh in violation of the pattas granted by himself, had the produce of their lands seized at the beginning of the year of the famine, giving only a nominal price for it, increased the rates of rent and collected several kinds of taxes, thereby reducing them to extreme poverty and causing many of the raiyats to be burnt with a red hot iron; and praying that Debi Singh may be replaced by a better ruler. CCP-200-2, OC 5th Aug No-5
From Purnea, Copy of a letter from Mr G G Ducarel, Collector of Purnea, stating that the several charges brought against Raja Debi Singh, his Diwan are utterly false and enclosing certain papers to connection therewith.- CCP 322-35, 24th Aug