Case: Rajah Velugoti Kumara Krishna Yachendra Varu & Others Vs. Rajah Velugoti Sarvagna Kumara Krishna Yachendra Varu & Others

Ramaswami, J. 1. This appeal arises out of a suit O.S. No. 351 of 1952 filed for partition by 7 plaintiffs, viz., (1) Sri Raja Venkata Kumara Krishna Yachendra, (2) Sri Raja V. V. Ramakrishna, (3) Sri Raja V. V. Rajagopala Krishna, (4) Sri Raja V. V. Muvva Gopala Krishna, (5) Sri Raja V. Rajeswara Rao, (6) Sri Raja V. Maheshwara Rao and (7) Sri Raja V. Madana Gopala Krishna, minor by next friend and mother Smt. Sridevamma in respect of the Venkatagiri Estate and other properties as accretions to this estate. The first defendant in the suit was the holder of the Zamindari until it was notified and taken over by the State on September 7, 1949. The 3rd and 4th defendants are brothers of the first defendant. The third defendant died during the pendency of the suit and defendants 7 and 8 are his sons. Defendants 4, 5 and 6 are the sons of the 4th defendant. The 9th and 10th defendants are the sons of the 1st defendant. The 4th plaintiff Sri Raja V. V. Muvva Gopala Krishna died during the pendency of the appeals against the suit in the High Court of Madras. After the filing of the petition of appeal in this Court, Sri Raja V. Maheswara Rao, the 6th plaintiff, also died. The relationship of the parties will appear from the following pedigree:- 2. The Venkatagiri Estate is an ancient impartible estate in Nellore district included Impartible Estates Act (Act II of 1904). In the year 1878, Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachema, who heads the above pedigree, was the Zamindar. He had seven sons of whom three had been given away in adoption. The eldest of the sons was Rajagopala Krishna to whom Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama handed over the entire estate and certain other properties with a view to spend the rest of his life in piety and meditation. In 1889, Muddukrishna and Venkata Krishna, two of the sons, claimed a share in the estate contending that the estate was partible and the four sons were each entitled to a fourth share in the family properties. Rajagopalakrishna, however, asserted its impartible character. Ultimately, there was settlement between the parties wherein Muddu Krishna and Venkata Krishna withdrew their claim to partition and recognised the impartible character of the zamindari. The settlement involved the payment of large sums of money by Rajagopala Krishna to his three younger brothers Muddu Krishna, Venkata Krishna and Venugopal. Venugopal was then a minor and was represented by the father Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachema himself. The terms of the settlement were embodied in a stamped document bearing the date April 8, 1889. Its terms may be summarised as follows: (a) recognition by all the brothers that the Venkatagiri Estate was impartible with descent along the eldest line, that is, by Rajagopala Krishna the then Zamindar and after him by his son, sons son and so on in the eldest male line; (b) the three brothers of the then Rajah. Muddukrishna, Venkata Krishna and Venugopal, should each receive a sum of Rs. 5,81,252-11-10; (c) Mudda Krishna, Venkata Krishna and Venugopal should also receive a sum of Rs. 40,000 each for providing themselves with residence; (d) a provision for the marriage expenses of Venkata Krishna and Venugopal; and (E) provision that Rajagopala Krishna and his successors to the estate should pay to Muddukrishna, Ventaka Krishna and Venugopal a sum of Rs. 1,000 each per mensem for life and on their death a similar amount to their male descendants (Purusha Santhathi) by way of allowance, the amount payable to each branch being Rs. 1,000 irrespective of the number of descendants. 3. Venugopal, the last of the four brothers, never married and plaintiffs 5 and 6 to the suit are his illegitimate sons. In 1932 plaintiffs 5 and 6 instituted a suit against the Estate (O. S. No. 30 of 1932) claiming maintenance allowance and relying upon the agreement of 1889 and in the alternative on custom and Hindu Law. The Subordinate Judge found that custom was not proved and that they were not entitled to maintenance under the Hindu Law. But he found that the claimants were entitled to the maintenance under the deed as Pursush Santhathi. On appeal the High Court agreed with the finding of the trial Court as regards the absence of any custom but differed from the interpretation of Purusha Santhathi and held that the term was applicable only to legitimate sons and not to illegitimate sons. The High Court, however, took the view that the plaintiffs 5 and 6 were entitled to maintenance under the Hindu Law. The judgment of the High Court is reported in Maharaja of Venkatagiri. v. Raja Rajeswara Rao, ILR (1939) Mad 622 = (AIR 1939 Mad 614). The matter was taken in appeal to the Judicial Committee and the Judicial Committee allowed the appeal of the Rajah holding that the illegitimate sons of Venugopal were not entitled to maintenance either under the agreement of 1889 or under the Hindu Law. The decision of the Judicial Committee is reported in Raja Krishna Yachendra v. Raja Rajeswara Rao, ILR (1942) Mad 419 = (AIR 1942 PC 3). 4. At the time of the notification of the estate under the Madras Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948 (Act 26 of 1948) (hereinafter called `the Abolition Act), the first defendant in the suit held the estate and was the principal landholder under the Act. Under Section 66 of the Abolition Act, on and from the notified date, the Madras Impartible Estates Act, 1904 ( Act 2 of 1904), shall be deemed to have been repealed in its application to the estate. Out of the advance compensation first deposited, plaintiffs 1` to 4 had been paid a sum of Rs. 75,000 as maintenance-holders under Section 45 of the Abolition Act. They were entitled under the Act to a further sum of Rs. 75,000 in the second instalment of compensation and a share in such additional compensation that may be given. They were also given interim payments at Rs. 9,000 per year under Section 50 of the Abolition Act. Under Sec. 47 of the Act they were also entitled to ryotwari patta. 5. The case of the plaintiffs was that the Venkatagiri Estate became an impartible estate only under the agreement of 1889 between the parties and became a statutory impartible estate by virtue of its inclusion in the Schedule to the Madras Impartible Estates Act, 1904 and that on the repeal of that enactment by Section 66 of the Abolition Act the Estate became partible. The contention of the plaintiffs was that as junior members of a joint family they were entitled to a share in the compensation amount and also a share in Schedule B properties which were not vested in the State Government. So far as the claim to a share in the compensation amount is concerned, there were proceedings under the Abolition Act itself. The suit was principally confined to the claim for a share in the B Schedule properties and for an alternative claim for maintenance at Rs. 1,000 per mensem. So far as the B Schedule properties are concerned, the claim was confined to shares in three items of immovable properties, namely, (1) Motimahal, No. 187, Mount Road, Madras, (2) Venkatagiri Rajahs Bungalow at Nellore and (3) Venkatagiri Rajahs bungalow at Kalahasti. Out of the movable properties the claim was confined to sub-item 8 of item 8 of the B Schedule, that is, a golden howdah. It is the case of the plaintiffs that the repeal of the Impartible Estates Act by virtue of the notification will have the effect of changing the character of the properties in the B Schedule and making them partible. It was contended that even if for any reason the plaintiffs are not granted a share in the properties of the estate, they must be paid a sum of Rs. 1,000 per mensem in terms of the original agreement of April 8, 1889. 6. The trial Judge, Subramaniam J., held that the Venkatagiri Zamindari was impartible by custom, even apart from the agreement of 1889 and the Impartible Estates Acts of 1902 and 1904. Even after the abolition of the Venkatagiri Estate, the character of impartibility was found to continue in respect of B Schedule properties which formed part of the Zamindari. The learned Judge held that the plaintiffs 1 to 4 were not entitled to a share in the immovable properties of B Schedule but were entitled to recover such sum as may be needed to make up the monthly allowance for their branch at Rs. 1,000 per mensem after taking into consideration the amount which plaintiffs 1 to 4 were given under the Abolition Act. They were granted a charge for the amount on items 1, 14 and 16 of plaint B Schedule. Plaintiffs 1 to 4 were also given a decree for one-third share in sub-item 8 of item 8 of Schedule B properties, namely, the golden howdah. So far as plaintiffs 5 to 7 were concerned, they were held not entitled to any relief. The plaintiffs 1 to 7 preferred appeal. O.S.A. No. 53 of 1961 against the judgment of the trial Judge in O.S. No. 351 of 1952. The first defendant also filed O.S.A No 40 of 1961 against that portion of the judgment in O.S. No. 351 of 1952 whereby the trial Judge held that even after the notification of the Venkatigiri Estate under the Abolition Act and the payment of the compensation under that Act to plaintiffs 1 to 4, their claim for maintenance under the agreement of April 8, 1889 continued in force and that plaintiffs 1 to 4 were entitled to a payment of Rs. 1,000 per mensem each after giving credit for payments made under the Abolition Act. Both the appeals O.S.A. No. 53 of 1961 and O.S.A No. 40 of 1961 were heard together and disposed of by a Division Bench consisting of Chandra Reddy, C. J. and Natesan, J., by a common judgment dated August 13, 1965. The Division Bench held that plaintiffs 1 to 4 having enjoyed the benefit of payment under Section 45 (5) of the Abolition Act and got capitalised by the Tribunal of their maintenance rights on the basis of the extinction of the estate cannot make a further claim as if the agreement of 1889 was a sub-sisting one and call upon the 1st defendant to make up for any deficiency from the properties that had not vested in the Government. The Division Bench also disallowed the claim of plaintiffs 1 to 4 for a share in the value of the golden howdahs. It was pointed out that silver, and the golden howdah were not treated as impartible but were actually divided among the family members. Accordingly, the Division Bench allowed the appeal O.S.A. No. 40 of 1961 filed by the 1st defendant. In regard to O.S.A. No. 53 of 1961 the Division Bench held the claim that the Venkatagiri Estate was not an impartible estate by custom was devoid of merit. It was pointed out that before the Special Tribunal under the Abolition Act the plaintiffs had advanced the same contention but it was rejected. Plaintiffs 1 to 4 filed an appeal to this Court against the decision of the Special Tribunal. The decision of this Court is reported in Raja Muvva Gopalakrishna Yachendra v. Raja V. V. Sarvagna Krishna Yachendra, (1963) Supp 2 SCR 280 = (AIR 1963 SC 842 ). Before this Court plaintiffs 1 to 4 did not question the finding of the Special Tribunal that Venkatagiri Estate was an impartible estate. On the other hand, the contention advanced by the plaintiffs was that the Venkatagiri Estate was impartible by custom and that the impartibility continued under the Madras Impartibel Estates Act but ceased when the estate vested in the State Government. The Division Bench upon an examination of the evidence held that Venkatagiri Estate was an impartible estate by custom and was not made impartible for the first time under the agreement of 1889 or by Acts of 1902 or 1904. The claim for partition made by plaintiffs in respect of the B Schedule immovable properties was negatived. As regards the claim to maintenance made by plaintiffs 5 to 7, the Division Bench held that a similar claim had been rejected previously by the Judicial Committee as not tenable either under the agreement of 1889 or under Hindu Law or on the basis of custom. In the result, O.S.A. No. 53 of 1961 filed by the plaintiffs was dismissed. O.S.A. No. 40 of 1961 preferred by the first defendant was allowed and the suit was dismissed in its entirety. 7. The first question to be considered in this appeal is whether the plaintiffs are entitled to claim a share in the three items of immovable properties of B Schedule already referred to. The argument on their behalf may be summarised as follows: Venkatagiri Estate admittedly an ancestral estate was not impartiable by custom but for the first time by the agreement of 1889, the parties thereto agreed to hold it as an impartible estate, succession being governed by the law of primogeniture. The arrangement was brought about to preserve the integrity of the estate and to preserve its past glory. By reason of the notification of the Estate under the Abolition Act and the vesting of the estate in the Government the purpose for which the agreement was entered into was frustrated. The agreement of 1889 could, therefore, be no longer relied upon for preserving the impartible character of the estate or what was left of it. The three items of immovable properties though outside the territorial limits of the zamindari were held impartible only as appurtenant to the main Estate and after the impartible character of the main estate was lost, these properties became partible. Even though the estate was treated as an impartible estate, it was an ancestral estate and there was joint ownership of the Estate in the family members, Plaintiffs 1 to 4, therefore, were entitled to one-third share of the properties of B Schedule which are not vested in the Government and plaintiffs 5 to 7 were entitled similarly to another one-third share.8. In our opinion the contention of the plaintiffs that Venkatagiri Estate was not impartible by custom is untenable. The early history of the zamindari is summarised in Gopalakrishna v. Sarvagna Krishna, 1955 Andh WR 590 = (AIR 1955 Andhra 264), as follows:- The Estate of Venkatagiri has been in existence since Muhammadan times. On the disruption of the Moghal Empire, it owned allegiance to the Nawabs of Arcot. In addition to the payment of peshcush they had to maintain an armed force for the assistance of Government in times of disorder or rebellion. As a result of the treaty between the East India Company on the one side and the Nawab of Arcot on the other the administration of that part of the country under the suzerainty of the latter was made over to the British. Under this treaty the Zamindari of Venkatagiri was recognised and the Rajah had to pay to the East India Company what he was paying before the Muhammadan rulers. Some time later, in accordance with the agreement entered into between the Zamindars in Western Arcot and Lord Clive, the East India Company took over the responsibility for the preservation of law and order and the Zamindars were relieved of the task of maintaining armed forces and in its stead they undertook to pay an additional revenue on their estate, which was added to the peshkush. It was assured that the fixed peshkush would remain unalterable. In pursuance of this agreement, a sanad was granted in 1802 to the Zamindar of Venkatagiri and other Zamindars embodying the terms agreed upon. Ever since, successive Zamindars held the estate paying peshkush which has been invariable. The Estate is described in the official documents in the year 1801 as one of the Western palayams. It was observed by the Privy Council in Naragunty Lutchmeedavamah v. Vengama Naidoo, (1861-63) 9 Moo Ind App 66 (PC): A polliam is explained in Wilsos Glossary to be `a tract of country subject to a petty chieftain. In speaking of Polligars, he describes them as having been originally petty chieftains occupying usually tracts of hill or forest, subject to pay tributes and service to the paramount State but seldom paying either, and more or less independent; but as having, at present, since the subjugation of the country by the East India company, subsided into peaceable landholders. This corresponds with the account read at the Bar from the Report of the Select Committee on the Affairs of India, in 1812. A Polliam is in the nature of a Raj; it may belong to an undivided family, but it is not the subject of partition, it can be held by only one member of the family at a time, who is styled the Polligar, the other members of the family being entitled to a maintenance or allowance out of the estate. 9. The document of 1889 also negatives the case of the plaintiffs that the Estate was made impartible for the first time by that document. The language of the document clearly shows that it only recognised the then subsisting impartible character of the Estate. In other words the document proceeds on the assumption that the Zamindari was made impartible by custom from the very beginning. The relevant portion of the Agreement of 1889 Ex. A-1 is to the following effect: On the 18th April 1889, the Contract entered in Writing by Raja Velugoti Rajagopala Krishna Yachandra, Bahadur, Rajah of Venkatagiri, eldest son of Sri Raja of Velugoti Kumara Yachama Naidu and his three uterine brothers (1) Muddu Krishna, (2) Venkatakrishna and (3) Minor Venugopala by his father and guardian Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama Naidu is as follows: Out of the sons of the said Sri Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama Naidu, excluding the three...who have been given in adoption...while we remaining four brothers comprising the parties to this document are sons of the said Raja V. Kumara Yachama Naidu and members of an undivided family; because the Venkatagiri Estate is impartible and subject to the law of primogeniture our father Sri Raja V. Kumara Yachama Naidu, with the intention of his seeing, and approving of, the ruling of the estate by his eldest son the Raja Rajagopala Krishna, and with the intention of passing his time thereafter in future in the meditation of God, as means to attain to the world beyond, transferred on the 28th October, 1878 to the eldest of us four and the heir apparent to the estate, namely, the Raja Rajagopala Krishna, Raja of Venkatagiri, the Venkatagiri Zamindari, the immovable properties relating thereto, the other immovable properties which were acquired by means of the income of the said zamindari and all his ancestral and his self-acquired movable properties, excepting the nine lakhs and odd rupees and all the properties connected therewith including its accretions which he retained for his charitable expenses. Since, then, the aforesaid Raja Rajagopala Krishna Yachandra, Raja of Venkatagiri, has been ruling the estate....When the matters stood thus, on account of ill- feeling that arose between some of us, two of us, namely Muddukrishna Yachendrulu, expressed the desire that the said Venkatagiri zamindari, the immovable properties connected therewith, the other immovable properties acquired by means of the income of the said Venkatagiri Zamindari, and all the movable properties should be divided into four shares and their respective shares should be given to them. The Raja Rajagopala Krishna, Raja of Venkatagiri, becoming aware of this fact, contended that the Venkatagiri Zamindari, the other immovable properties connected therewith, the other immovable properties which were acquired by his father out of the income of that Zamindari and transferred by him to him along with the estate and ancestral and self acquired movable properties of his father which the latter transferred to him long with the estate, were impartible. Thereupon, all of us brothers consulted about the aforementioned points of dispute, our father who is all-knowing and who has considerable experience. He considered it well and positively expressed his opinion that, in regard to immovable property the Venkatagiri Zamindari was originally earned by our ancestors by reason of valour in war, that it was an ancient Zamindari, that it was an impartible estate devolving along the eldest line of descendants, that it was permanently settled, that, when Sannad Milikiyat Istimirar was granted to the ancestor, who was then the Zamindar of Venkatagiri, the peishkush for this Venkatagiri Estate was fixed with reference to the amount of expenses of the military troops and servants which he (our ancestor) was supplying and with reference to the money paid as tribute to the former Government, namely, Nawab, that therefore this Venkatagiri estate was not partible, that the immovable properties connected therewith, and other immovable properties acquired by means of the income of the said estate were also, of course, impartible. . . . . that, in regard to movable property, his ancestral and self-acquired money in cash, the money consisting of deposits kept in the firms of Arbuthnot and Co., and Binny and Co., all the silvery, gold and precious stones, jewels, which were on the 26th October, 1878 transferred along with the said Vekatagiri Estate of this eldest son, the Raja Rajagopala Krishna, Raja of Venkatagiri, together with the accretions thereto upto now should be divided equally among his four sons who are among the parties to this document-that such would be a just arrangement. In regard to our fathers opinion about the immovable property, the three youngest of us brothers consulted their proper friends and in regard to our fathers opinion about the aforementioned movable properties which were acquired by Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama and transferred along with the Venkatagiri Estate, the eldest of these four brothers . . . . . consulted his proper friends. On account of the cogent reasons urged by the respective friends of these both parties, and for the reason that all family feuds would (thereby) end and compromised the opinions of one of the parties to this document, namely Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama Naidu, on the two points referred to above have been agreed in, as certainly correct and accepted, by the remaining parties, namely, we four brothers. Therefore, the parties to this document, namely, we four brothers, and our father Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama do now jointly and severally hereby determine, agree and affirm as follows: At this Venkatagiri Estate is impartible descendible along the eldest line (of descent) of the said Estate, the immovable properties connected therewith and the other immovable properties acquired by means of the income of the said estate should be enjoyed by the eldest of us four brothers and the heir of the aforesaid Raja Velugoti Kumara Yachama namely the aforesaid Velugoti Rajagopala Krishna and after him by his son, sons son and so on in the eldest male line of descent . . . subject to the condition of paying allowances to other members of our family, suitably to their respective status out of the income from the estate and the properties. And so we divide in the manner shown below all the money, silver, gold and precious stones, jewels and the accretions resulting thereto upto this day which formed ancestral and self acquisition of our father...along with the said estate ......... 10. Counsel for the plaintiffs has been unable to show any term in this agreement to support his contention that it was only by virtue of that document that the parties agreed to call the Estate impartible. On the contrary the document indicates that there was clear recognition by the executants of the then character of the Estate as an impartible zamindari. 11. We shall then deal with the inclusion of the Venkatagiri Zamindari in the Impartible Estates Acts passed by the Madras Legislature in 1902 and 1904. These Acts became necessary as a result of the ruling of the Privy Council in Raja Rao Venkata Surya Mahipati Rama Krishna Rao Bahadur v. Court of Wards (1899) ILR 22 Mad 383 (PC). The decision of the Judicial Committee was given in 1889 and the Impartible Estates Act was passed in Madras in 1902 with a view to preserve the ancient zamindaris of the Madras Presidency. Referring to the Schedule to the Act the Statement of Objects and Reasons explained that the schedule contained only Permanent Settlement Estates in existence before the date of permanent settlement Regulations and which have been declared by the judicial decisions to be impartible or locally considered by ancient custom to be so impartible and had in fact descended without partition since that date. The Impartible Estates Act, 1904 finally took the place of 1902 Act. The Estate of Venkatagiri has been included in the schedule annexed to both the Impartible Estates Acts. The obvious inference is that the Government had made enquiries and were satisfied that the Estates included in the schedule to Act 2 of 1904 were impartible and the inclusion of the Estates therein is a legislative determination that they were impartible. In Pushavathi Vijayaram Gajapathi Raj v. Pushavathi Visweswar Gajapathi Raj, (1964) 2 SCR 403 = (AIR 1964 SC 118 ), this Court observed: Soon after these decisions were pronounced by the Privy Council, the Madras Legislature stepped in because those decisions very rudely disturbed the view held in Madras about the limitations on the powers of holders of impartible estates in the matter of making alienations of the said estates. That led to the passing of the Madras Impartible Estates Acts II.1902, II/1903 and II/1904. The Legislature took the precaution of making necessary enquiries in regard to impartible estates within the State and made what the legislature thought were necessary provisions in respect of the terms and conditions on which the said estates were held. 12. In these circumstances we see no reason to differ from the finding of the High Court that the Estate of Venkatagiri was an ancient impartible Estate by custom and was not made impartible for the first time under the agreement of 1889 or by the Madras Acts of 1902 and 1904. 13. The next question for determination is what is the effect of the Abolition Act on the rights and obligations of the members of the family in relation to the Venkatagiri Zamindari. According to the plaintiffs the property described in the B Schedule appended to the plaint did not vest under Section 3 (b) of the Abolition Act. The properties in the B Schedule include a building at Mount Road Madras a bungalow at Kalahasti and the District Judges bungalow at Nellore Town. These buildings are situated outside the territorial limits of the Venkatagiri Estate. Section 3 (a) and (b) of the Abolition Act states: x x x x x x 3 With effect on and from the notified date and save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act- (a) the Madras Estates Land (Reduction of Rent) Act, 1947 (Madras Act XXX of 1947) in so far as it relates to matters other than the reduction of rents and the collection of arrears of rent and the Madras Permanent Settlement Regulation, 1802 (Madras Regulation XXV of 1802), the Madras Estates Land Act, 1908 (Madras Act I of 1908), and all other enactments applicable to the estate as such shall be deemed to have been repealed in their application to the estate. (b) the entire estate (including all communal lands; porambokes: other non-ryoti lands; waste lands; pasture lands; lanka lands; forests; mines and minerals; quarries; rivers and streams; tanks and irrigation works; fisheries and ferries), shall stand transferred to the Government and vest in them, free of all encumbrances and the Madras Revenue Recovery Act, 1864, the Madras Irrigation Cess Act, 1864, and all other enactments applicable to ryotwari areas shall apply to the estate; x x x x x x Section 1 (3), states: x x x x x x (3) It applies to all estates as defined in Section 3, clause (2) of the Madras Estates Land Act, 1908, except inam villages which became estates by virtue of the Madras Estates Land (Third Amendment) Act, 1936. Section 2 (3) defines estate to mean . . . x x x x x x (3) estate means a zamindari or an undertenure or an inam estate; x x x x x x Section 2 (16) defines Zamindari as follows: x x x x x x (16) zamindari estate means- (i) an estate within the meaning of Section 3, clause (2) (a) of the Estates Land Act, after excluding therefrom every portion which is itself an estate under Section 3, clause (2) (b) or (2) (e) of that Act; or (ii) an estate within the meaning of Section 3, clause (2) (b) or (2) (c) of the Estates Land Act, after excluding therefrom every portion which is itself an estate under Section 3, clause (2) (e), of that Act. x x x x x x Section 3 (2) of Estates Land Act (Madras Act I of 1908) defined an estate to mean: (a) any permanently-settled estate or temporarily-settled zamindari; (b) any portion of such permanently-settled estate or temporarily-settled zamindari which is separately registered in the office of the Collector; (c) any unsettled palaiyam or jagir; x x x x x x 14. Section 2 (2) of the Madras Impartible Estates Act, 1904 (Madras Act 2 of 1904) defines an `impartible estate as an estate descendible to a single heir and subject to the other incidents of impartible estates in Southern India. In relation to the Venkatagiri Zamindari the expression `Estate in Section 3 (a) of the Abolition Act refers obviously to the Venkatagiri Estate which till then was subject to the operation of the Madras Permanent Settlement Regulation and the Madras Estates Land Act. In relation to the Venkatagiri Zamindari Section 66 of the Abolition Act enacts that with effect from the notified date the Madras Impartible Estates Act, 1904 shall be deemed to have been repealed in its application to the Estate,. The question arises whether the word estate in Section 66 of the Abolition Act denotes the zamindari consisting of properties which stood transferred to the Government under the Abolition Act and properties which are not so transferred, or whether the expression `estate refers to only the Venkatagiri Estate which until the notification issued under the Abolition Act took effect was the subject of the Permanent Settlement Regulation and the Madras Estates Land Act.The High Court has given sufficient reasons in support of its view that the word estate in Section 66 of the Abolition Act denotes only the estate governed by the Permanent Settlement Regulation and the Estates Land Act and not any other part of the impartible zamindari. In other words the Abolition Act has no application to properties which are outside the territorial limits of the Venkatagiri Estate.

Decision reasoning: 1[ds]8. In our opinion the contention of the plaintiffs that Venkatagiri Estate was not impartible by custom is untenable9. The document of 1889 also negatives the case of the plaintiffs that the Estate was made impartible for the first time by that document. The language of the document clearly shows that it only recognised the then subsisting impartible character of the Estate. In other words the document proceeds on the assumption that the Zamindari was made impartible by custom from the very beginning10. Counsel for the plaintiffs has been unable to show any term in this agreement to support his contention that it was only by virtue of that document that the parties agreed to call the Estate impartible. On the contrary the document indicates that there was clear recognition by the executants of the then character of the Estate as an impartible zamindariWe have already given reasons for the view that the Zamindari was impartible independently of the agreement of 1889 and that the agreement was no more than a conscious affirmation by the parties of what the position was previously in fact and in law. To put it differently the agreement of 1889 merely acknowledged and defined antecedent rights and antecedent obligations. It is therefore difficult to accept the contention of the plaintiffs that the three items of property in Schedule B have become partible properties. Since the Abolition Act did not affect these items the properties have continued to be what they were at the time of incorporation with the zamindari, namely the properties retain their impartible character15. We are also not impressed with the argument that as there was incorporation of the buildings with the original impartible estate the buildings ceased to have any impartible character when the impartibility of the parent estate was gone.It is true that the buildings which are outside the geographical limits of the Venkatagiri Zamindari cannot be brought within the definition of the Estate as defined in the Estates Land Act and the Abolition Act cannot therefore be made applicable to such buildings. But `the buildings have acquire the character of impartibility as a result of incorporation with the parent estate and that character cannot be lost unless the statute intervernes. Section 4 of the Impartible Estates Act itself contemplates parts of an Estate being impartibleIt is not possible to accept this principle in the present case. For, many times custom outlives the condition of things which give it birth. As observed by Lord Atkinson in Rao Kishore Singh v. Mst. Gahenabai, AIR 1919 PC 100:Rao Kishore Singh v. Mst. Gahenabai, AIR 1919 PC 10017. We are also unable to accept the contention of the plaintiffs that the property of the impartible estate was held in coparcenary as joint family property and became partible amongst the members once it lost its character of impartibility. In other words, the contention was that junior members had a present interest in the impartible estate and were entitled to a share in the estate once impartibility was removed. In our opinion there is no justification for this argumentThe law regarding the nature and incidents of impartible estate is now well settled. Impartibility is essentially a creature of custom. The junior members of a joint family in the case of ancient impartible joint family estate take no right in the property by birth and, therefore, have no right of partition having regard to the very nature of the estate that it is impartial. Secondly, they have no right to interdict alienations by the head of the family either for necessity or otherwise. This, of course, is subject to Section 4 of the Madras Impartible Estates Act in the case of impartible estates governed by the Act. The right of junior members of the family for maintenance is governed by custom and is not based upon any joint right or interest in the property as co-owners. This is now made clear by the Judicial Committee in Commr. of I.-T., Punjab v. Krishna Kishore, 68 Ind App 155 = (AIR 1941 PC 120  ), App 155 = (AIR 1941 PC 120  ), 68 Ind App 181 = (AIR 1942 P C 3).The income of the impartible estate is the individual in- come of the holder of the estate and is not the income of the joint familyUnder the agreement of 1889, plaintiffs 1 to 4 are entitled to an allowance of Rs. 1,000 if paid out of the income of the zamindari, that is to say, the income of the Venkatagiri Estate strictly so called and the income of the properties which did not get transferred to the Government under the Abolition Act.The Madras Impartible Estates Act, 1904, provides by Sec. 9 for the payment of maintenance of junior members of an impartible zamindari family:Where there is in force an agreement relating to payment of maintenance, the Act does not authorise reduction of the quantum of maintenance provided by such agreement except in the circumstances stated in Section 14 (2) - circumstances which are not applicable to the present case. It is admitted that junior members of the Venkatagiri family were receiving maintenance, under the agreement of 1889 until the coming into force of the Abolition Act20. Under the agreement of 1889, plaintiffs 1 to 4 are entitled to payment of Rs. 1,000 per month from the income of the Venkatagiri Zamindari. That part of the zamindari which consisted of the Venkatagiri Estate has been converted into compensation deposited and to be deposited in the office of the Tribunal. The first defendant and plaintiffs 1 to 4 would also be entitled to ryotwari pattas under Sections 12 and 47 of the Abolition Act. It is not disputed that plaintiffs 1 to 4 have been paid Rupees 75,000 when the second instalment of compensation is deposited by the Government. If additional compensation is allowed under Section 54-B of the Abolition Act, plaintiffs 1 to 4 would get a part of such additional compensationIn other words, the plaintiffs 1 to 4 were held entitled to recover from defendant No. 1 the difference between the interest payable on the compensation amount and the sum of Rs 1,000 per mensem and the difference was made a charge on items 1, 14 and 16 of Schedule B propertiesIn other words, the plaintiffs 1 to 4 were held entitled to recover from defendant No. 1 the difference between the interest payable on the compensation amount and the sum of Rs 1,000 per mensem and the difference was made a charge on items 1, 14 and 16 of Schedule B propertiesThe Subordinate Judge, Nellore, held in O. S. No. 30 of 1932 that plaintiffs 5 and 6 were not the purusha santathi of Venugopal. The decision was affirmed by the High Court in ILR (1939) Mad 622 = (AIR 1939 Mad 614) and an appeal against the judgment of the High Court was dismissed by the Judicial Committee. That decision is binding upon the plaintiffs 5 and 6 on the ground of res judicata. The seventh plaintiff as the son of the 5th plaintiff can claim no higher rights than the 5th plaintiffThis clause provides that on the death of any male member entitled to maintenance allowance under the deed without leaving any male issue either by birth or adoption, the allowance which was received by that person should go according to Hindu Law to the gnatis who in the same line as the deceased are nearest to such deceased member. Plaintiffs 5 to 7 alternatively claimed to be the gnatis of Venugopal. In our opinion, it is not open to plaintiffs 5 to 7 to re-agitate the matter which should have been pressed as a ground of claim in the previous suit. In any case the argument is without substance.It is true that the word `gnati in Sanskrit literally interpreted includes a brother also. But in the context of the particular passage in the agreement, it could not have been the intention of the parties that when there was a failure of legitimate or adopted son, gnatis including illegitimate sons would take the allowance.The question in reality is not whether an legitimate brother is a gnati or not for purposes of succession, but whether the word is used in that unusual sense in the agreement. As pointed out in the previous case, this clause has no application and the case is really governed by the earlier clause already referred to. We accordingly reject the argument of plaintiffs 5 to 7 on this aspect of the case21. Lastly, it was contended on behalf of plaintiffs 1 to 4 that they were entitled to one-third share of the golden howdah in sub-item 8 of item No. 8 of B Schedule. The only evidence upon which plaintiffs relied was cls. 5 and 6 in the will of Rajagopalkrishna dated 22nd September, 1910,These clauses make it clear that the golden howdah had been divided and nothing was left for further division. In our opinion the Division Bench was right in taking the view that the plaintiffs 1 to 4 are not entitled to division of the golden howdah.