Page 550 - PERSIAN 1 1873_1879 Admin Report1_Neat

u ADMINJ8THATI0S REPORT OP THE PERSIAN GULF POLITICAL

appendix a to part ti.
Memorandum on cultivation of a village in one of the Boo tools {district*)
of Shiraz.
A village with an area of land sufficient for sowing 18,000 lo 20,000
roannds of grain, is valued at 60,000 krans.
Government taxation on such a village would be about 2,500 krans
per annum, which is considered to be more or less reasonable.
This area is divided into three parts, of which one part only is culti­
vated during the year, the other two parts being allowed to remain
fallow awaiting their turn for cultivation in subsequent years.
The “ shatwiy99 or autumn sowings for the year in such a village
necessitate the outlay of seed in the following proportion :—
Barley . 2,000 mauuds.
"Wheat • . 1,000 do.
The “saifee99 or spring sowings are proportioned as under
Rice . 400 lnaunds.
Maize . 200 do.
Cotton . 200 do.
Sesame, &c. . 100 do.
The outturn of shatwiy sowings is tenfold in a good year and five­
fold in a had one.
The results of saifee sowings are—
Rice 00-fold during a prosperous year.
„ 10-fold during an unfavourable year.
Maize 50-fold during a good year.
„ 20.fold during a bad year.
Irrigation may be natural, such as by rivers and springs or artificial
by means of kana'ts. A kanat is invariably private property appertain­
ing to the village, and involving an annual expenditure of 500 krans to
keep it in repair.
If the village happen to be irrigated by a river, the proprietor of that
village has to pay for his share of the watercourse leading to his lands.
If irrigated by a spring, disputes very frequently arise on account of
proprietors of other villages attempting to draw away more water than
is their due. This is due to the insufficiency of water supplied by a
spring. ^ An outlay of 600 krans is necessary towards obtaining a favour­
able or just decision.
Such a village should entertain forty ryots irrespective of their
families and strangers, and have twenty i( bands99 (pairs) of beasts of
burthen or forty oxen. The ryots find themselves altogether.
The outturn is divided into three parts ; one-third for the ryots and
two-thirds for the proprietor. '
If the proprietor snould wish to bring his share of the produce to
town he must defray the expenses of the carriage.
All taxes on the land and water are paid by the proprietor, the
amount of which in most cases varies in proportion to his position and
influence for he cither manages to pay the taxes as per ancient Govern*