52 XURRAN AGENCY
declaration of 'rights to water, questions of- inheritance, possession of
women, and disputes relating to revenue.- Murder and violent crime
are not very common, the chief.: offences -being robbery and. `theft,
especially of cattle, arson, mischief to fruit trees, and abduction.
The rates of land revenue paid under Afghan rule varied from R. z
to Rs. z per jarib (about half an acre), but various other taxes were
also levied. Thus the governor in 1886 fixed a poll-tax at Rs. a-8 on
menials (barbers and Dums or minstrels), and at Rs. 3-8 on artisans
and adult male Hindus. Each mill paid Rs. 3-8 a year, and dues were
levied on all sales of ponies and cattle. These taxes were equal in
amount to the land tax, and the valley was farmed for a total sum ,'
of a lakh.
The aim of the British Government was at first to carry on the
revenue administration as far as possible on the Afghan system.
A summary settlement was made in 1893-4, when the amount levied
by the Afghan governors was ascertained and distributed in due
proportion over individual holdings. The settlement was. sanctioned
for ten years; and, including mâlikâna on crown lands; revenue from
mills, and taxes on artisans' shops (the latter being a substitute for
the poll tax), the demand amounted to Rs. 67,300 (Kabuli). The all-
round rates adopted were (in Kabuli currency) Rs. 3-g per acre of
cultivated land, Rs. 3-8 per mill, and Rs. z-8 to Rs. 3 per artisan's
shop. Cash payments or remissions of revenue amounting' to about
Rs. i9,ooo were granted to,leading men for political services or assis-
tance in general administration, while smaller grants were. sanctioned -
for the upkeep of shrines, mosques, temples, and especially miztim
kotâhs or Shiahs' mourning houses.
No regular measurements were made, but the cultivated area was
estimated roughly at 30,222 acres. A brief and incomplete record-of-
rights was prepared, but some of the complicated tenures were left
undecided, and no arrangements were made for keeping the record
up to date. A few returns and statements were prescribed for main-
taining a check on the collection of the land revenue and for lapsed
assignments. Thus the revenue administration consisted- of the col- -
lection of revenue, reassessment of estates subject to alluvial action; the
maintenance of irrigation embankments; and harvest inspections in the
crown lands. The revenue work is supervised by the Revenue Assis-
tant, who is also treasury officer.. He is assisted by a niiràb (who
looks after irrigation), 4 patwdHs, and a tahsil accountant. The re
settlement of the valley began in 1904. It involves the conversion of
the assessment from Kabuli into British rupees, and the preparation
of a regular record-of-rights, including definitions of the different kinds
of tenure, pedigree tables, irrigation cu-stoms, and maps of the cultivated
land based on accurate measurements, and the reorganization of the
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