The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c22.48

v4.c22.48

In the outlying provinces, local practices were ordinarily continued. In the northern mountains—Kashmīr, Kābul and Qandahār—these practices were diversified, and too complex to be summarised in a few words; here as elsewhere, the basic idea was to take a share of the produce, but the share was ordinarily calculated by methods which gave an approximation to the system of measurement. In Sind one-third of the produce was claimed, and the demand was assessed by sharing. The records regarding Gujarāt are conflicting, but can be interpreted on the hypothesis that measurement was practised for a time, and then superseded by assessment on the village as a unit made with the headmen, or possibly with farmers. In Berār and (probably) Khāndesh such village assessments were the rule, and the same statement holds good of Bengal (including Orissa); contemporary authorities lend no support to the legend which was current at the end of the eighteenth century that Todar Mal made a detailed assessment on the individual peasants of Bengal. In most of these provinces large areas were left in the hands of chiefs, and thus were not assessed by the Revenue Ministry, or available for assignment.