The traditional rights of occupants of land in the southern region were recorded by the Board of Revenue as early as in 1818 in its proceeding dated January 5, 1818 that : "The universally distinguishing character, as well as the chief privilege of this class of people, is their exclu (1) A.I.R. 1953 S.C. 446 853 sive right to the hereditary possession and usufruct of the soil, so long as they render a certain portion of the produce of the land, in kind or money, as public revenue; and whether rendered in service, in money, or in kind, and whether paid to rajahs, jageerdars, zamindars, polygars, motahdars, shrotriemdars, inamdars or Government Officers, such as tahsildars, amildars, aumeens, or tanadars, the payments which have always been made by the ryot are universally termed and considered the dues of the Government.