Final report of the revised settlement of the Agror Valley: Hazara district

· 1901 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1No. 19-C., duteil tlie 30tl» March 1902.

2From— The H-on’ble Me. J. Wilson, o.b.i., Settlement Commissioner, Punjab,

3Tci—Tiie Iieveuuu Secretary to the Hon'hle the Chief Commissioner, North-West Frontier Province.

4I HAVE the honour to submit the Final Report on the Settlement of the

5Agror Valley, which has been forwarded to me without remark by the Deputy

6Commissioner of Hazara.

72. This small and isolated valley, lying at the foot of the Black Mountain

8and separated from the rest of the Hazara District by a range of hills, has had a

9somewhat chequered history since it came under our rule over fifty years ago,

10mainly owing to the repeated misbehaviour of its chief, and his intrigues with the

11independent tribes whose territory it adjoins. These gave rise to several expedi¬

12tious, and ultimately in 1888 the Khan was arrested and deported, and in 1891 a

13Regulation (IV of 1891) was passed, declaring that he had

14Appendix . been guilty of disturbing the peace of the border, and that

15all his rights in the valley were forfeited to the Government. The Regulation

16also provided for the appointment of an officer to deal with the forfeited rights, to

17determine how far they should be retained by Government, transferred to persons

18having interests in the land or to the Khan’s kinsmen, or restored to the Khan.

19Rules were drawn up for the guidance of the officer appoint*

20ppont ‘ ' ed—directing him, among other things, to revise the asseB-

21inent of the valley. Mr. Cunningham, Deputy Commissioner, who was the officer

22first appointed under the Regulation, submitted a preliminary report, on which

23detailed instructions were issued. The whole area of the valley was re-measured

24.mid Assessment Report submitted. The orders passed on that report and the

25reports submitted from time to time on the other matters dealt with in the Regu¬

26lation have been carried out by Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan, Extra Assistant

27Commissioner, who was invested with the powers under the Regulation, and the

28Final Report now submitted summarises the orders passed, and states how effect

29has been given to them.

303. The previous assessment of the valley was admittedly a very light one,

31having been fixed by Captain Wace at Rs. 4,000, although his own revenue rates

32and other estimates indicated an assessment of about Rs. 10,000. Since then

33cultivation has increased by more than 6 per cent, prices have risen by about 50

34per cent., communications have been very much improved, population has doubled,

35and the number of cattle lias very largely increased. The soil is unusually fertile

36and the rainfall abundant and certain. A produce estimate, founded on the new

37measurements and the ascertained rates of rent, indicated a half net assets of about

38Rs. 30,000. The Settlement, Officer proposed an assessment of Rs. 20,181, which

39was supported by the Financial Commissioner. Government, however, thought

40that the half net asset estimate was in some respects too high, and sanctioned an

41lievomio Secretary’s No. assessment of only lls. 13,000, besides Rs. 300 on mills, and

421933 , dated HUi December this amount bas been distributed over the villages according

431899 ' to the reduced rates given in paragraph 44 of the Report.

44Although this more than trebles the previous demand, there can be no doubt that,

45as compared with ordinary Punjab assessments, it is a very light charge on the

46fertile land of this valley, its incidence being less than 10 annas per cultivated acre.

47It has been distributed over the holdings according to the different classes

48and qualities of the soil. Soon after it was announced and distributed, I paid a

49visit to Agror, saw most of the estates in the valley, listened to any objections

50brought by the people (there were no regular appeals), and satisfied myself that

51the distribution had been fairly made. The assessment will be easily paid and

52there should hardly ever be any need for suspensions.

534. By far the most important part, however, of the special officer’s work

54was to carry out the orders regarding the disposal of the Khan’s forfeited rights

55in the laud. At the Regular Settlement he had been declared sole owner of nearly

56Preliminary report, para- three-fourths of the whole area of the valley and overlord

57Eraph 3 - of the rest, entitled to demand service and exact vexatious