ROLE OF THE MAHAJANS IN RURAL ECONOMY 23 peasants on various conditions. Occasionally they rented out their ploughs and bullocks29 and charged interest on lending seed and manure after commuting their price in cash.30 The indigent peasants, usually the paltis and a category of pahis were wholly dependent on the mahajan for the resources needed for cultivation.31 The rate of interest charged by the mahajans on the assets loaned was as high as the interest on money, ranging from 10 per cent to 25 percent.3a However, the documents do not provide any information as to what was the incidence of rent charged by the mahajan on hiring out agricultural implements, that is, bullocks and ploughs. The mahajans who provided these assets on credit were highly reputed in the village community. This fact can be best highlighted by an instance in which we find the entire village community turning against the village ^amindar for his harassment of the mahajan who was engaged in gharu kasht and also provided the ryots with seed and manure on credit. The ^amindar was warned by the state official not to harass the mahajan.3 s Acquisition of Land Apart from investing money in usury, these mahajans also used their capital to acquire landed property both for gharu kashta and for share-cropping.84 The mahajans occasionally took advantage of the weak economic condition of the peasants at the time of natural calamities when the latter had to borrow money or grain from the mahajans for their subsistence. The mahajans either purchased the land of the cultivators outright or lent money on mortgage of their lands.86 The extent to which the mahajans acquired agricultural land by this manner can be seen by the fact that in the year of VS 1820/1763 AD, it was reported to the darbar that in qasba Ghatsu out of 350 fields belonging to the ryots 175 had been purchased by or mortgaged to the mahajan ^at the time of scarcity due to famine.86 They endeavoured to convert the lands of the ryots into their own khudkashta holdings, but the state officials were specifically instructed not to permit this, since it would mean loss of revenue to the state as the former cultivators were being charged concessional rate of land revenue on their gharu kasht.37 It may be noted that very often the mahajans themselves were involved in agricultural operations. In the majority of cases, they held gharu kashta and invested capital for the cultivation of cash crops.38 They had the resources to develop their own means of irrigation, and utilize high quality seed and manure to get better returns.39 In many cases the mahajans leased out the agricultural land acquired through purchase to the erstwhile owners on a share cropping basis.40 The mahajans resorted to share cropping because they were not able to cultivate the entire land with the help of their family members. Where they had taken a mortgage on the lands of the ryots, the latter were permitted to cultivate the land on payment of revenue at the normal rate to the mahajan mortgagee who in turn disclosed it as his khudkashta to the state to be assessed on