A History of Agriculture in India v2.c85.s4: The Eastern Jamuna Canal
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c85.s4
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The Eastern Jamuna Canal
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The official history of irrigation in India mentions that the Eastern Jamuna Canal taking off from the River Jamuna on the eastern bank of the river near Naushehra in Uttar Pradesh, was constructed probably during the reign of Mohammed Shah. Little is known of its early history, but it seems to have been abandoned not long after its construction, due to the declining power of the Mughals. An attempt was made by the Rohilla Chiefs, about 1780, to restore water supply into the canal, but it proved a failure and was abandoned. The canal was later realigned and remodelled by the British, early in the nineteenth century, and is now known as the Eastern Jamuna Canal.¹⁰
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¹⁰ Development of Irrigation in India, p. 42
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INCREASED BURDEN OF TAXATION ON PEASANTS MISERABLE CONDITION OF PEASANTS, PEASANT REVOLTS, JATS AND SATNAMIS
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UNDER the Mughal system of government, at the top was the Emperor and his court comprising ministers, *omrahs* and *mansabdars*. The offices of trust and dignity were held by foreigners, Persians, Arabs and Turks. The *mansabdars* had to maintain a fixed quota of horses. They derived their income from *jagirs* or land revenue assignments or in cash from the treasury. Bernier, who watched them at close range, states that in spite of their pomp and show, most of them were in embarrassed circumstances and deeply in debt. This was on account of the fact that they maintained large establishments of wives, servants, camels and horses. Besides, they had to make costly presents to the Emperor at certain annual festivals.
v2.c85.s4.5
To maintain the splendour of the court and to pay a large army whose sole function was to keep the people in subjection, an enormous expenditure was incurred. The source of finance was land revenue, which increased sharply from Akbar’s time onwards. The increasing land revenue of the Mughal government from Akbar to Aurangzeb is evident in the following table compiled by Lane Poole.
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| Akbar | 1594 | — | £18,650,000 |
| Shah Jahan | 1655 | — | £30,000,000 |
| Aurangzeb | 1697 | — | £43,500,000 |
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The burden, ultimately, fell on the peasantry.