Tales of Bengal
Tales of Bengal
The Pride of Kadampur -- The Rival Markets -- A Foul Conspiracy -- The Biter Bitten -- All's Well That Ends Well -- An Outrageous Swindle -- The Virtue of Economy -- A Peacemaker -- A Brahman's Curse -- A Roland for His Oliver -- Ramda -- A Rift in the Lute -- Debenbra Babu in Trouble -- True to His Salt -- A Tame Rabbit -- Gobardhan's Triumph -- Patience is a Virtue.
Book Excerpt
t of levying land-tax in Bengal. It was then collected by zemindars, a few of whom were semi-independent nobles, and the rest mere farmers of revenue, who bid against one another at the periodical settlements. Tenant right apart, the conception of private property in the soil was inconceivable to the Indian mind. Every one knows that it was borrowed by English lawyers from the Roman codes, when commercialism destroyed the old feudal nexus. Lord Cornwallis's permanent Settlement of 1793 was a revolution as drastic in its degree as that which Prance was undergoing. Zemindars were presented with the land for which they had been mere rakers-in of revenue. It was parcelled out into "estates," which might be bought and sold like moveable property. A tax levied at customary rates became "rent" arrived at by a process of bargaining between the landlord and ignorant rustics. The Government demand was fixed for ever, but no attempt was made to safeguard the ryot's interests. Cornwallis and his henchmen fondly supposed
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