Characteristics of Beckett Settlement in Garhwal

British Administration in Garhwal   -35       

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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -52

            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -889

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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

       

                    The Batten twenty years (beesee) settlement was up to 1860. The senior assistant commissioner J.O’ B. Beckett conducted new thirty years land settlement. Beckett settlement was first land settlement of Garhwal that Amins measured the land as was done in plains. Atkinson remarked the Beckett land settlement as ‘Cadastral Survey’ or comprehensive survey (Atkinson, pp297).    

  Barring Bhotiya region (Mhlas), Amins measured the land, prepared maps, and recorded ‘Fard’ of each village.  The Batten land settlement was based on nail (quantum of sowing seeds used in land) and was more of presumption. There were chances of lapses and the reality came out in Beckett settlement.

        Beckett settlement is called ‘Dori Paimas(measurement by rope). The ‘beesee’ was extended to 4800 square yards. The Beckett ‘Beesee’ was 40 square yards lesser than British acre.

          The land measurement work started from 1856. However, due to 1857 ‘gadar’, the work was halted from June 1857 till December 1859.  The measurement work restarted again in 1860 and completed in 1860. The officials completed records in 1861.  The measurement for agriculture land area was for 149379 ‘beesee’. The total expense amount on measurement and recording the ownership was for Rs. 74005 or eight Anna per ‘beesee’. The owners of ‘Gunth’, ‘sadavrat’, ‘muvafi’ land paid the expenses (Atkinson, pp 298).

           In Beckett settlement, there was measurement for walls (Bheed, Mend) between two counters and tax was determined on walls too. However, there was no tax on ‘Katil’ land (barren land and used to be cropped after three –four years only). Barren land was included within fertile land after farmer’s instances.  

  The village boundaries and land of a village determined in Traill (1823) and Batten (1840) land settlements were kept as it was. There were changes in boundaries of Pattis and Parganas. The authorized areas for each Patwari were determined as per new situation arose by measurement.

 In Batten settlement, there were ‘asli ganv’ and ‘dakhila gaon’. ‘Dakhila ganv were smaller village and were under ‘Asli ‘villages. By the time Becket settlement started, many ‘dakhila’ village grew bigger and they were given the title for ‘Asli ganv’ in Beckett settlement. On that time, it was pride for villagers of ‘dakhila village’ coming under ‘asli ganv’.

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Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com 2/9/2016

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -890

*** History of British Rule/Administration over British Garhwal (Pauri, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli1815-1947) to be continued in next chapter

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

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References  

 1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page-190

2-Beckett, Garhwal Settlement report page 3/5

3- Atkinson, Himalayan districts vol.3, pages 297, 298

, Beckett Settlement, Garhwal

History of British Rule, , Beckett Settlement, Garhwal, Administration ,  Beckett Settlement, Garhwal, Policies, Beckett Settlement, Garhwal, Revenue system,  over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; Beckett Settlement, History of British Rule , Administration , Beckett Settlement, Policies Revenue system  over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Beckett Settlement, Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies , Beckett Settlement, Revenue system  over Dehradun , Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies, ,Revenue system  over Bageshwar  Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; Beckett Settlement,

History of British Rule, Administration, Policies, Revenue system over Haridwar, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand;    

Xx

History of British Rule, Administration , Policies, Revenue system,  over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; History of British Rule , Administration , Policies Revenue system  over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Uttarakhand; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies ,Revenue system  over Dehradun , Champawat Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; History of British Rule, Administration, Policies, ,Revenue system  over Bageshwar  Kumaon, Uttarakhand ;

History of British Rule, Administration, Policies, Revenue system over Haridwar, Pithoragarh Kumaon, Uttarakhand;