Importance of Patwari

British Administration in Garhwal   -130

       -

History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -150

-

            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -984

-

                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

 There was no position for Patwari in Garhwal Kingdom. Daftari were keeping agriculture and tax records in capital Shrinagar. In big Paragaa as Gangasalan, Badhan, Nagpur; there were assistant Daftari called ‘Lekhwar’ were assistating ‘Daftari’. However, Lekhwar and daftari were not keeping all necessary details. In other Parganas, kamin, sayana were keeping records in Garhwal kingdom.

 In old age, kings used to offer jagir (land) to Daftaries and Lekhwar. From 1816, officials sopped daftari position and started paying salaries to  record keepers. Trail recommended that Land jagir should be converted into Khalasa jagir and let there be appointment for Patwaris at the monthly salary for rupees 5 in nine parganas. .

   Government accepted recommendations by Trail. There was saving from Khalsa Jagir. Government appointed Patwaris for each fourteen Parganas in 1830.  There were 7000 villages in Kumaon and Garhwal districts in 1830. The average income was less than 5 rupees annual in many villages. Government had to keep poen (Chaprasi) in each Pargana Head quarter for collecting taxes. Later on those Chaprasi were called as Patwari. Government appointed thirty new Patwaris and laid off 30 Chaprasi as patwaris were more educated than chaprasi.

  There were 63 Patwaris in Kumaun and Garhwal. There were average 120 villages under one Patwari. Monthly salary was rupees five for Patwari.

   There were following responsibilities for Patwaris-

1-Collection of taxes

2-Measuring village land as per order from higher authorities

3-To settle internal infighting among villagers and stopping the person leaving village / migrating due to internal infighting and reporting the querels and person left the village

4- Keeping law and order, reporting of lynching, fighting, murder etc to Tahasildar

XX   

References  

1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 313 -333

 2- Atkinson , Himalayan Districts , Vol 2 pages 507-520

Xx

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India,4bjkukreti@gmail.com 4/7/2017

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -985

-

*** 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)

Forest settlement , History of British Rule, Administration , Policies, Revenue system,  over Garhwal, Kumaon, Uttarakhand ; Forest settlement , 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; Forest settlement ,  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 ; Forest settlement ,

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