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Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 20, p. 179.

ADNINISTRA TION 179 1674. The rise in the price of produce greatly reduced the state share in the out-turn of the land, and to make good this loss special cesses were levied on several occasions and under various names. This system continued till 1758, when, under the rule of Peshwa Balaji Baj! Rao, a new and very elaborate measurement and settlement were introduced. In the times of the Peshwas the government collected its revenues through its own agents; the maximum of the land tax was fixed and only charged on lands actually under tillage, while remissions were made in bad seasons. The revenues fluctuated according to the prosperity of the country. Between 1772 and 18oo, the years of the administration of Nana Farnavis, the management of the Peshwa's land revenue was perhaps more efficient than at any other time. In the reign of Baji Rao II the practice of farming the revenue for short terms to the highest bidder was introduced. The charges involved by this system aggravated the evils of its predecessor. Much hardship resulted from the exactions of these temporary revenue farmers. The assessment introduced at the beginning of British rule when prices were high pressed heavily on landholders in seasons either of bad crops or of low prices. Consequently the leading features of the revenue system before 1856 were high assessment and large remissions. About 1825, when distress was acute, Mr. Pringle was appointed to survey the District and revise the assessment. His survey settlement was introduced over the whole District between 1829 and 1831. The measure proved a failure, partly from the heaviness and in- equality of the assessment in a period of bad seasons and partly from the malpractices of Mr. Pringle's establishment. The defects were early foreseen and the new sates were soon discontinued. The first settlement confirmed for thirty years was introduced into the Dis- trict between 1836 and 1854. About 1855 a regular revenue survey was undertaken. A revision survey was made and introduced between 1874 and 19oi. This survey found an increase in the cultivable area of 6 per cent., and the settlement enhanced the total revenue from about 6 lakhs to 12 lakhs. The average assessment per acre of `dry' land is 9 annas, rice land RS. 2-7, and of garden land RS. 2. The following table shows the collections of land revenue and of revenue from all sources, in thousands of rupees :- 1880-1. 1890-1. 1900-1. 1903-4- Land revenue . 10,.30 16,60 12275 17,88 Total revenue . 18,15 30,00 25,28 34,16 The District has twelve municipalities: namely, POONA CITY and Poona Suburban, SASVAD, JEJURI, BARAMATI, INDAPUR, SIRUR, TALE-