ng for
their object the fixing of a system fair alike to the cultivator and
the Government.

Gradually, as I have above indicated, as the Government became
settled, a better principle was introduced to fix the amount payable
to the State. For this purpose statements of prices for the nineteen
years preceding the survey were called for from the village heads.
From these an average was struck, and the produce was valued at the
current rates. At first these settlements were annual, but as fresh
annual rates were found vexatious, the settlement was made for ten
years, on the basis of the average of the preceding ten.

To complete this agricultural system, Akbar made at the same time a
new division of the country for revenue purposes. Under this scheme
the country was marked out in parcels, each yielding a karor (ten
millions) of _dams_, equal to twenty-five thousand rupees. The
collector of each of these parcels was called a karori. Whenever a
karori had collected the sum of two lakhs of _dams_,[5] he was
required to send it to the Treasurer-General at head-quarters. It was
found, however, after a time, that the arbitrary division based
simply upon a mathematical theory produced {188} confusion and
disturbed ancient ways, of all others most congenial to the Hindus.
After a trial, then, the artificial division was abandoned in favour
of the ancient system of the people, under which the lands were
parcelled out in conformity with the natural features of the country
and the village system prevailing therein.

[Footnote 5: Two hundred thousand _dams_, equivalent to five thousand
rupees. A _dam_ is a copper coin, the fortieth part of a rupee. The
coin known as the _damri_, used at the present day for the purposes
of calculation, is the eighth part of a _dam_.]

Against the farming of the revenue, as a certain mode of oppression,
Akbar was very strong. He particularly enjoined upon his collectors
to deal directly, as far as was possible, with the cultivator
himself, rather than with the village headman. This was an innovation
which, though based upon the best intentions, did not always answer.
Custom counts for much in India, and custom pronounced in favour of
the recognition of the influence of the chief man of the village, and
it became necessary practically to deal, at least conjointly, with
him.

When the Emperor took into consideration the circumstances attending
the holding of lands, he found not only that grants had