'Notes on Persian Seistan' [‎33r] (70/142)

NOTES ON PERSIAN SEISTAN.
55
KESOURCES.
Wheat and barley are the only produets of any importance in Seistan, the
Wheat and barley. amount of other produce grown being quite
inconsiderable. 1 estimate the number of
ploughs >9 as 1,830, which, allowing an average output of kharwars 65 per
a rrQ/t o^rtT gives a total of kharwars 118.950, or
Annual outturn, 1,784,250 Indian i oqa T , ;
maunds. i,7o4,<o50 Indian maunds. Tlie estimated
output of each plough, as originally reckoned
for the payment of revenue to the Persian Government, was 36 kharwars per
plough only, but from careful enquiries I consider the outturn at the present
time to be far greater. As the Katkhudas of villages have to provide free
labour, when required, to the local Government, calculated on the basis of the
number of ploughs belonging to their respective villages, and as also the amount
of “shirini” or. “ backshish " from time to time required from them in order
to retain possession of their villages varies according to the amount of cultiva
tion belonging to them, it is obviously to their advantage to make out the
number of ploughs as low as possible.
Consequently in many places, and especially in the fertile district of
Sheb-i-Ab, tbere are relays of men and oxen told off for each plough, and the
extent of ground cultivated is much increased, though the number of ploughs
remains the same. I have been informed that as much as 100 kharwars per
plough are obtained from certain specially fertile land, and I do not think
that to reckon 65 kharwars as the output of each plough would be an over
estimate.
It is probable that large stores of grain would always be found in the
larger villages, and especially in Jazinak,
villages. ° f grain in th0 larSer Sehkoka, and Iskel. Enquiries have always
elicited the same reply, that there is enough
grain to feed an army in each of these three villages. The reason for the
storage of grain is probably a distrust of the local Government, with the
consequent desire to have a supply put by for a rainy day, and also to the
feeling that the water of the Helmund being in latter days indifferently
controlled, cultivation in any locality is always liable to be destroyed by either
a too great or too small supply of water.
The export of grain, north to Kain, and south to Kerman and Baluchistan,
f . is estimated at 100,000 camel-loads of 5
Indian maunds each, of which four-fifths
goes to Kain and one-fifth to the south.
There appears to be no reason why the present cultivated area should not
„ % _.—., .. be largely extended. There is an ample
Possibility of increase. ^ l , • i - r ,
supply or water in ordinary years, and
besides the possibility of re-opening old canals to the south and again fertilis
ing the ground formerly cultivated between Seistan and Koh-i-Malik Siah, it
would probably be possible, by cutting a channel, to drain the water of the
Hamun southwards into the Shela river, to reclaim a great part of the area
at present liable to inundation. In many places, where I have visited the
edge of the Hamun, the ground has not appeared salt, or in any way different
from the cultivated land close by.
There are about 1,000 horses in Seistan, which are small and wiry^ but
Horses. 1,000. unable to carry much weight.