Volume 1

Rambles and recollections of an Indian official / [Sir William Henry Sleeman].

  • William Henry Sleeman
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Rambles and recollections of an Indian official / [Sir William Henry Sleeman]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    121/492 page 81
    reigning sovereign is essentially the proprietor of the whole of the lands in every part of India, where he has not voluntarily alienated them; and he holds these lands for the payment of those public establishments which are maintained for the public good, and are supported by the rents of the lands either directly under assignment, or indirectly, through the sovereign proprietor. When a Muhammadan or Hindoo sovereign assigned lands rent- free in perpetuity^ it was always understood, both by the donor and receiver, to be with the small reservation of a right in his successor to resume them for the public good, if he should think fit.^ Hindoo sovereigns, or their priests for them, often tried to bar this right, by invoking curses on the head of that successor who should exercise it.' It time. Since his time the long continuance of settled government has fostered the growth of private rights, and tends to obscure the idea of state ownership. The modern revenue codes, instead of postulating the ownership of the state, enact that the claims of the state, that is to say, the land-revenue, are the first charge on the land and its produce. ' Amir Khan, the Nawab of Tonk, assigned to his physician, who had cured him of an intermittent fever, lands yielding one thousand rupees a year, in rent-free tenure, and gave him a deed signed by him- self and his heir-apparent, declaring expressly that it should descend to him and his heirs for ever. He died lately, and his son and succes- sor, who had signed the deed, resumed the estate without ceremony. On being remonstrated with, he said that “his father, while living, was, of course, master, and could make him sign what he pleased, and give land rent-free to whom he pleased ; but his successor must now be considered the best judge whether they could be spared or not ; that if lands were to be alienated in perpetuity by every reigning Nawab for every dose of medicine or dose of prayers that he or the members of his family required, none would soon be left for the pay- ment of the soldiers, or other necessary public servants of any descrip- tion.” This was told me by the son of the old physician, who was the person to whom the speech was made, his father having died before Amir Khan. [W. H. S.] Amir Khan was the famous Pindhari leader. 2 The ancient deeds of grant, engraved on copper, of which so many have been published during the last fifty years, almost invariably con- clude with fearful curses on the head of any rash mortal who may dare VOL. I. G
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3