'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from May to August 1840. Edited by the Secretary. Volume IV.' [‎93] (108/358)

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93
session of the whole of that province which belonged to the ancient
kin^s of Deogurh and Dowlutabad : bat his efforts were altogether
unsuccessful. In 1668, 1669, he turned his attention to the set
tlement and revenues of his newly acquired territories, and appointed
Anajee Dhuttoo to make an exact survey of the lands, in some
degree corresponding to that made by Dadajee Kondeo in the
Poona jagheer, on the principle of Mulik Umbur’s assessment
and surveys* In this respect, however, they essentially differed,
that whereas the former allotted one-third to government, and
two-thirds to the ryot; this, by Anajee Dhuttoo, exacted two-
fifths for the government, and left three-fifths only to the ryot:
all other cesses however were at first interdicted, and the Patels,
Khots, Koolkurnees, Deshmookhs, and Deshpandees prohibited
from interfering with the government officers beyond the duties and
offices strictly enjoined in their original sunnuds, grants, and howls
charters. Still in the midst of all this confusion, warfare, and general
disloyalty, the state of the revenue and population is said to have
prospered : if this had really been the case, it can be accounted
for in no other possible way, but that the people were only subject
to the land tax, from which Seevajee discharged all the expenses
and grants to religious and charitable objects, whether Maho-
medan or Hindu. In the subsequent appointment of his eight
prudhans, or great ministers of state, the same Anajee Dhuttoo
was first nominated to the office of Soornees, or general record-
keeper, superintendent of the department of correspondence, exami
ner of all letters : all deeds and grants were first copied by him,
and the attestation of his examination, and their having been
transcribed, was necessary to their validity. This Brahmin was
probably selected to fill this office, from his conversance with the
usages of the country, being also hereditary Desh Koolkurnee of
Sungumesfiwur, or general accountant of revenue of the Prubha-
wulee Mooamila, government, where all the business of the Dhabol
Soobha was for a long time carried on.
The foregoing sketch of Seevajee’s conquests of the Konkun, and
of its principal political and geographical divisions, brings us to the
peiiod where the Mahratta revenue system was first projected by
Seevajee and confided to Anajee Dhuttoo : we shall now examine
more carefully the financial measures which were prosecuted towards
the close of Seevajee’s life, and during the short reign of his son and
successor Sumbhajee, all in fact that remains worthy to be consider
ed as in any degree systematic. Hitherto, the land had been assessed