Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-04-30
vol. XII.
LIFE IN INDIA.
TnE D%nT

the United Kingdom are in this one Presi-
dency engaged in cultivating the soil. This
vii cease to be matter for astonishment when
we remember that not only Bengal, bat the
whole OF India is, strictly speaking jan arg
ricultural country, where nineteen-twenti-
eths of the exports are raw produce. The
amount of manufactured articles is most tri-
fling; for although sugar, indigo, saltPetre,
Iac-dye, and other articles of produce, un-
dergo cerrain manufacturing before beng
fit for the market, they do not come under
the head OF manufac:ures--they are but pre-
pared vegetable products.
The condition of this large class of labor
ers, who really produce the great staples of
Indian commerce, and bone of the land.
must be subject of considerable Importance
at the present moment. Until Great Britain
can arrive at true appreciation of the Po-
sitiofi and interest of the many classes of
| her Indian subjects, it is scarcely possible
| for her to determine her future policy in re-
| gard to ,Ise country and those people.
| The ryot is not merely an agricultu-
raj laborer, he is something more. He ap-
proaches more nearly to the Irish cottier in
the nature of his tenure, though far below
!
hopelessness of his struggle with his fellow
man.
We must understand, then, that the ryot
| is neither more nor less than a farmer a
very minute scale: small renter cf a small
J fragment of land, sometimes equal to several
acres in extent; at other times, but few
roods from boundary to boun dairy. The
lands they hold under various tenures are IN
nearly all cases included in some zemindary
or landed estate, the rights and privileges of
which are put up tor sale, just as any no5l E.
m ans estate may be in Great Britain.
1t is usually happens, however, that in eg-
] cry village in zemindary, there are far more
hands than are needed or cultiVatiug the
land upon it; at any rate, in the rough an
tique style of culture which they are in the
habit of giving it. This surplu-age Of labor
Is often sought f,r in indigo O. sugar districts
at considerable trouble, and some cost; in
deed, it often happens that the only mode
by which vi!lage-labor Gun be secured, is by
the parchase out and out Of the zemndary
The people belong to the soil, rather than
/ the soil ts them; hence, the purchasers OF
the one acquires with them an ownership
/ in the other. Ii constantly happens that
when a European wishes to coai:nencc indi-
go-making, slk-rearing. or coa-miung the
only possible chance for his obtaining labor
is to purchase few villages, well stocked
with able bodied men and handy women.
1t is the possession by sale or lease ofthese
populous villages which leads to SO many af-
trays and downright battles in various parts
of the Indian Mofussl, as te call for legisla-
tive interference. =
i During the goyerauneut of Lord Cornwall
lis was perpetrated one Of the greatest blum
ders Of that or any other period; he compile
/ ted what is known as the ssPermanent Set
tlement;'' by which government, as owners
of the soil, fixed fo- ever the rate at which
the land should be assessed to the zemindars,
irrespective of any improvement which might
take place. So far as the policy of this meas
ure was concerned, it might have worked to
much advantage; but, unfortunately for the
real progress of the country not word was
said in this famous settlement as to the rate
at which the zenindlrs might assess the ry-
OTIS on their lands; at the same time, the
most arbitrary and summary powers were
| given the former, TO enable them to enforce
! their demands against their unfortunate ten
, ants. 1t is quite true that the act OF settel-
: ment provided that an assessment once made
} could be altered by any zemindar or othei
t andholder-with only one exception, which
was on the occasion of an estate changing
: proprietors. This one exception was quite
sufficient for all purposes of exortion. II {
. zemindar wishes to raise the assessment o
t his land, he has but to make pretended sale
, to a relative, and the screw is at once put on
4 ard, as a matter of course, submitted to: 70
j who has ever heard of ryot opposing th'
i will of his zemindar! Sometimes. indee'
: the ,aborer will be too poor, or too broken
n spirited to work on higher rate in which cas-
= be will be at once elected, to wander home
5 less and hopele IS. with no relief but sucl
scanty charity as neighbors may care to dol
! out to him.
RI 1t is not merely in this way that the la
S boring population of Hindostan are place
,f at the mercy of grasping, relentless race @
e men. Between the great zemindar and tn
p people there is little army of middlemen, tn
r devourers of other mems substance, who ae
Is sometimes as his agents baihffs, some
p times as sub-ren.ers, who take the trouol
e off his hands for round sum for the yea
5, In those cases. the extortions are general
= doubled, for the farmers of the rents for tn
lie time being cares far less for the welfare c
the ryots on the land than the zemindar. IL
difficult for any one who has not resided 70
sometime amongst an agricultural Populatlo
sd in British India, to form right conceptio
8 of the exactions to which they are exposes
n | and the utter impossibllty of escape Il
) them under the present administration OF tt
=. laws The renter has mol a want in h
20 household that the villagers are not compe
be led to supply. Every article of daily col
;. sumptio n-rice, oil, milk, gheo, cotton--a
must be found him by the RIOTS of his di
or trict. How heavily this presses upon t.
~ half-fed, half-clad people, only those ca
h say who know their utter poverty.
20 The advocates of the present system, al
he amongst these are to be found many Eur
. peans, maintain that the Indian ryot is
"a poor degraded creature, incapable of bett
No things, unfit for progress, and reckless of t
nv future. Alas! he has never had trial, u
20 der British rule, of what he is capable, n
=, of what he might be under better syster
-. We are not among those who predict ra
nd id advance of civ vilization amongst the Hi
~. doos, but we believe they nigh. be made
prosperous and thriving people il the who
race of zemindars, putindars, and other m
dlemen were swept from the face OF t
land, and the ryots left in possession oft
-, - fruit of their daily toll.
eat ..od.,ood throrrbont the MiofussiI. a
ey brought in contact with the village popu
J. ol ton, there marked Improvement is to
me seen in their condition. A good deal
nn' been said about the oppression OF the Ell
sh- lish. indigo planters: possibly some parts
xu- the statements may be correct, but the