Administrative System of the Marathas c11.s1.1

c11.s1.1

It can be safely asserted that the survey work was done with the utmost care. Annaji Datto refused to rely on irresponsible government officials, whose lack of local knowledge and necessary energy disqualified them for the work. He issued a circular letter to village officers urging them to undertake this important work with the co-operation of some of their co-villagers, whose interests were directly involved. A copy of this old circular¹¹ letter has come down to us, and has been deciphered and published by Mr. V. K. Rajwade. As this is the only document that tells us how the bighaoni survey of the Konkan was conducted by Annaji, it is a pity that this important paper has not escaped mutilation, and the sad ravages of time have made it impossible for Mr. Rajwade to decipher all the words. Many gaps have yet to be filled up mainly by conjecture. But it appears from what has been read, that the estimate of these village officers was not accepted without a proper examination. Annaji Datto himself revised their work. In every district, he visited at least one village of each description, estimated its yield, and then compared his own figure with that submitted by the village officers. It was the interest of these villagers not to over-estimate the possible revenue; consequently, the king alone was the only losing party if any error in these estimates remained undetected. This circular letter was issued in 1678, only two years before Shivaji's death. It is, therefore, clear that this survey settlement could not be finished in his life time and had, in all probability, commenced late in his reign.