'Notes on Persian Seistan' [‎40v] (85/142)

70
NOTES ON PEBSIAN SEISTAN.
First the harvest is divided into three equal parts, leaving between one
and two kharwars untouched. Out of the latter the following take their
shave
Maunds.
1. Sar Mnshrif .......
He also gets as Sahib-kar, or “ Director of Opera
tions o • o « • * •
2. Tavildar, who looks after the share of the Governor
3. IViushrif • .....
4. Mishkar, the watcher on behalf of the Governor
Wheat.
Barley.
12
10
12
12
10
6
6
12
10
If any still remains from this small heap, it is considered the spoil of
the “ Sar Mushrif ” and his servants, all of whom the cultivators have to
feed during the harvesting operations.
Now of the three main divisions, that of the Governor is alone left
untouched and is handed over intact to the “ Tavildar. 5 ’ From the two
remaining heaps, nearly two-thirds of the whole harvest, the following
shares are now taken :•—*
Maunds,
1. Katkhnda ....
•
•
•
Wheat.
40
Barley.
10
2. Pokar, or village watchman .
•
0
5
5
3. Carpenter ....
•
•
15
15
4. Blacksmith
#
•
15
15
5. Oxen, used for threshing
•
•
. 50
20
6. Oxen, used for ploughing
•
•
30
maunds for each
kharwar of seed sown.
The village barber then takes his annual pay, which consists of 5 maunds
of both wheat and barley from each of the men, usually six in number,
to whom the plough belongs, and at this stage of the proceedings the
local mullah generally makes his appearance. He has no fixed share of the
harvest, but takes as much as he can persuade the cultivators to part with.
The latter now divide the remainder of the spoil in equal parts, and depart
with what is left to them of their crops, probably wondering if it will
suffice to feed them and their families till harvest time comes round
is uncertain and
The proportion
again.
These figures are not exactly the same in all the districts of Seistan,
but they indicate sufficiently accurately how' the harvest is divided.
The amount of seed sown varies in the different districts from 3 to 4
kharwars in some parts of the north, where
Seed sown. ^ u i , p .i A , 7
the advent or the water
often late, to as much as 10 kharwars in the south-west,
of corn reaped to seed sown is estimated at 10 to 1.
Wheat and barley are seldom grown on the same ground two years
running, “ Sabzbar ” being sown one year
grown on same ground in conse- where bufidbar was grown the year
cutive years. previous, and vice versa.
Besides the ordinary ploughs, of the produce of which, as already
shown, the Katkhuda only gets a small
Tavi1 ’ share, each Katkhuda is allowed two Tavil **
or extra ploughs of his own. These are not included in the number of
ploughs for purposes of calculating the fres labour he has to supply to the