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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 8, p. 215.

ADMINISTRATION 215 jdgirddrs, or patladtirs as they are usually called, are for the most part the nobles of the State ; they formerly served the Darbar with troops, but this obligation has now been commuted for a money payment or tribute (rakm), which varies in amount in different estates but is generally about one-third of the income. They have also to pay one year's revenue as nazardna, or fee on succession, and other cesses on such occasions as the Maharaja's accession or his marriage. Their estates descend from father to son (or, with the sanction of the Darbār, to an adopted son), but are liable to resumption for serious offences against the State. Many villages are held revenue-free (betalab) by the chief's near relations or connexions by marriage, or by those pattaddrs whose estates have been attached or confiscated but to whom lands have been given for maintenance. Such grants are temporary and can be resumed at the pleasure of the Darbār ; the holders are expected to serve the chief on certain occasions. Lastly, there are sdsan villages or lands granted to Brahmans and temples, which are held revenue-free and practically in perpetuity. In the khdlsa area, prior to 1884, there was no uniform system of assessment and revenue collection. The commonest method was to measure, every second or third year, the area held by each cultivator and assess it at a cash rate per bigha. The sum so calculated was paid by the cultivator, with the addition of certain cesses fixed with no reference to the area of the land held. Occasionally a share of the produce, either by actual division (batai) or by appraisement (kankūt), would be taken instead of, and sometimes in addition to, a cash rate. In other cases a lump assessment (ijdra) would be annually fixed for a village and distributed over the total cultivated area, excluding the fields of the chaudhris (headmen) and some of the village menials. In the central sandy tract the revenue was collected by a system which was a combination of rates on ploughs and cattle with a poll-tax and some additional items; but, whatever the method of assessment employed, there was little hesitation at any time in levying new and irregular cesses. In 1884 it was decided to undertake a summary settlement of the khdlsa villages, excluding those in the Tibi pargana, to assess and collect on some uniform system in place of the haphazard methods described above. This settlement was completed in 1886, and intro- duced for a period of five years, subsequently extended to eight. Each village was assessed at a lump sum, for the payment of which the chaudhris became jointly responsible. The sum assessed was calculated by applying to the cultivated and waste areas rates which were con- sidered to be suitable ; these rates did not vary from village to village, but were uniform throughout an assessment circle or subdivision of a tahsil made for assessment purposes. The first regular settlement was made by a British officer from the