A History of the Mahrattas v1.c7.171

v1.c7.171

Independent of various allowances in kind, the Patells, Koolkurnees, and Chowgulas, hold about one twenty-fifth of the village land, rent free. It is a conjecture of the more intelligent natives of the country, that, in ancient times, these officers superintended by the superior government agents, collected the assessment in kind. The whole of the intermediate agents, that may have existed between the Patell and the Raja, are not precisely ascertained: but at present, over several villages, forming a small district, there are always two hereditary officers; the one called Deshmookh, Dessaee, or Zumeendar; and the other Deshpandya, Deshlekuk, and Qanoongo. Both these officers now occasionally assume the title of Zumeendar, but the appellations, Deshmookh and Deshpandya are in more general use in the Mahratta country; and their duties, under the Mahomedan governments, were nearly similar in their districts, to those of the Patell and Koolkurnee in their villages. The Deshmookhs and Patells, with few exceptions, are Mahrattas, as the Deshpandyas and Koolkurnees are Bramins. Though the services of the Deshmookhs and Deshpandyas are in general dispensed with, they continue to be paid by a portion of land in different parts of their district, which may be estimated at about one twentieth of the arable soil, and a twentieth of the government revenue, or five per cent., separately collected by them, and calculated agreeably to the revenue actually realized. But this is stated merely to give a general idea of their allowances, which are exceedingly variable; and they have many rights of shares and exactions which it is unnecessary to enumerate. The Deshpandya has about half the allowances of the Deshmookh in land, in kind, and in money.