A History of Agriculture in India v2.c86.s3.3

v2.c86.s3.3

'The Marathas treated carvans just in the same way, and many were plundered. The commanders of their bands did their best to settle the amount of *chauth* to be paid, and were not willing to pillage. Their men, on the contrary, strove to prevent any arrangment of the *chauth*, so that they might be free to plunder. For, if an agreement was arrived at, and the chauth was settled without plundering, it belonged to the chiefs, and the men got nothing. But, if it came to plundering, each man kept what he could lay hands upon, and the chiefs did not gain so much.