102 BASIM DISTRICT
Akbar's time, it is evident that the present assessment, though absolutely
somewhat higher than Akbar's, is relatively very much lighter.
The first regular settlement of the District after the Assignment was
made between 1872 and 1875, and is now expiring; but in those tracts
where it has already expired the introduction of the new rates, assessed
in 1899, has been postponed, owing to the extent to which the District
suffered from the famine of 1899-I900. Under the new assessment the
maximum rate is Rs. I-12 per acre, the minimum 7 annas, and the aver-
age 12 annas 4 pies. Land irrigated from streams is assessed at a special
land and water rate of Rs. 8 per acre, except in the Pusad taluk, where,.
for the purpose of encouraging irrigation, it is assessed either as ' dry'
land or as land irrigated from wells. Land irrigated from wells is
assessed at the maximum rate for 'dry' land in the village in which it
is situated where the wells have been sunk before the original survey;
but land irrigated from wells sunk since that time is treated as 'dry'
land. The average increase of the new rates over the old amounts to
32.2 per cent. throughout the District, but in areas in which the increase
is greater than 33 per cent. the enhanced rates are to be gradually
introduced.
Collections on account of land revenue and revenue from all sources
have been, in thousands of rupees :-
1880-I. 1 9 . . 1900-1. 1903--4.
Land revenue . . 6 5,90 6,23 7,15
Total revenue . 7,23 8,63 I5,68 9,18
Basim town is administered by a municipality, and local affairs in the
rest of the District were under the District board, with the three dtauk
boards subordinate to it. The expenditure of the District board in
1903-4 was Rs. 65,000, of which Rs. 25,000 was laid out on public
works and Rs. Io,ooo on education. The principal sources of income
were Provincial rates, assessed taxes, and the Provincial contribution for
primary education.
The District had 20 police stations, 4 outposts, and 3 road-posts,
and the force under the District Superintendent of police numbered
413 of all ranks. The District jail at Bgsim was the only jail, and
contained in 1904 a daily average of 44 inmates.
Basim stood fifth among the six Districts of Berar in the literacy
of its population, of whom 3.1 per cent. (6.o males and 0-2 females)
were able to read and write in 190o. Education is most advanced
in the Basim Idluk. In 1903-4 the District contained 73 public,
19 aided, and 30 unaided schools with a total of 4,881 pupils, of
whom 4,083 were in public schools and 370 were girls. Of the
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