Administrative System of the Marathas c18.s25.12

c18.s25.12

Now to pass on to the preservation of government forests for they were a source of income to the Peshwas. Forests, do not seem to have yielded much in cash. We find that a man paid Rs. 154-10 for a farm of the bherali palms in Pargana Ghosala for one year (1743-44)⁸ and of course the Peshwas got something by selling their permission for cutting wood both for building purposes and for fuel; the usual fee for fuel was As. 4 per bullock load. The honey from the bee-hives, whatever it might have yielded, formed another item of the forest revenue. But it seems that the kurans were also included in the forest department. The Peshwas preserved the forests and kurans more for their direct produce than for any revenue as will be seen in the document below: