Vol. 6 · pages 36–40

21ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY etc.: the other ballootah,* which “comprehended” taxes upon the fees in kind received by the village artisans from the cultivators, and upon their enam (rent free) lands when they hold them. In one instance, the percentage upon bad coins was found to be included under the head Sayer.” IX. The Judicial Fees were realized in the form of stamps requisite in cases of different amounts in order to defray legal charges; the value of stamps varied with the amount of the suit. Suits ranging up to Rs. 16 … the stamps amounted to Re. 1 From Rs. 16 to Rs. 32 … Rs. 2 From Rs. 32 to Rs. 64 … Rs. 4 From Rs. 64 to Rs. 150 … Rs. 8 From Rs. 150 to Rs. 300 … Rs. 16 From Rs. 300 to Rs. 800 … Rs. 32 From Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,600 … Rs. 50 From Rs. 1,600 to Rs. 3,000 … Rs. 100 From Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 10,000 … Rs. 250 From Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000 … Rs. 500 From Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 … Rs. 750 From Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,00,000 … Rs. 1,000 From Rs. 1,00,000 and above … Rs. 2,000 Besides this the exhibits filed, summons, answers, replications, rejoinders, supplemental pleadings, the authorization to a lawyer to plead (sanad) are required to be stamped, the stamp only varying according to the status of the court. X. The Stamp Duties first established in Bengal in 1797 were incumbent on all instruments such as contracts, deeds, conveyances, leases, powers of attorney, policies of insurance, promissory notes, receipts, bail bonds, and legal proceeding generally (bills of exchange under Rs. 25 and receipts under Rs. 50 were being exempted). In Madras stamp paper was first introduced in 1808, chiefly on legal proceedings: and in 1816 the duties were extended to bonds, deeds, leases, mortgages, bills of exchange and receipts. In Bombay the tax was first introduced in 1815. The English mode of distributing stamps was adopted in India. * In the Ms. the word is typed as ‘balloobeh ’—Ed.

22 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES “The stamp vendors receive their supply from the collector: the vendors give security for the stamps, and distribute them to the parties by whom they are required, receiving a percentage on the sales”. XI. The Mint Revenue was collected in the shape of a seignorage for coining of two percent on the produce, after allowing for the difference of standard and deducting the charges of refining when such were chargeable. XII. The Marine Revenue was recovered by means of the port and anchorage dues, etc. in order to keep up the useful establishments at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. XIII. Subsidies from the native states payable under treaty obligations, amounting to about a half million pounds. These were the thirteen sources of revenue under the East India Company, many of which continue to be so even today. III It will be also interesting to note the entire revenue raised from the different sources and the percentage ratio of each to the whole. First the land tax : its yield and ratio to the entire revenue of British India. Periods Land Tax Average Annual Revenue Ratio of Land Tax to Total Revenue (Per cent) 1792-93 to 1796-97 … 4,068,000 50.33 1797-98 to 1801-02 … 4,126,000 42.02 1802-03 to 1806-07 … 4,582,000 31.99 1807-08 to 1811-12 … 5,078,000 31.68 1812-13 to 1816-17 … 9,018,000 52.33 1817-18 to 1821-22 … 13,263,000 66.17 1822-23 to 1826-27 … 13,567,000 61.83 1827-28 to 1831-32 … 13,112,000 60.90 1832-33 to 1836-37 … 11,942,000 57.00 1837-38 to 1841-42 … 12,380,000 59.05 1842-43 to 1846-47 … 13,432,000 55.85 1847-48 to 1851-52 … 14,947,000 56.06 1852-53 to 1855-56 … 16,183,000 55.40 1792-93 to 1855-56 … 10,349,000 54.07

23ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY The Opium Revenue : its yield and ratio to the entire revenue of British India. Periods Average Annual Revenue Ratio to the Total Revenue (Per cent) 1792-93 to 1796-97 … 264,000 3.27 1797-98 to 1881-82 … 312,000 3.18 1802-03 to 1806-07 … 579,000 4.04 1807-08 to 1811-12 … 767,000 4.79 1812-13to 1816-17 … 958,000 5.56 1817-18 to 1821-22 … 1,090,000 5.44 1822-23 to 1826-27 … 1,641,000 7.47 1827-28 to 1831-32 … 1,747,000 8.12 1832-33 to 1836-37 … 1,677,000 8.00 1837-38 to 1841-42 … 1,547,000 7.38 1842-43 to 1846-47 … 2,965,000 12.33 1847-48 to 1851-52 … 3,840,000 14.50 1852-53 to 1855-56 … 4,943,000 16.91 1792-93 to 1855-56 … 1,667,000 8.71 The Salt Tax : its yield and ratio to the entire revenue of British India Period Average Annual Revenue Ratio to the Total Revenue (Per cent) 1792-93 to 1796-97 … 1,207,000 14.93 1797-98 to 1801-02 … 1,188,000 12.10 1802-03 to 1806-07 … 1,589,000 11.09 1807-08 to 1811-12 … 1,785,000 11.14 1812-13to 1816-17 … 1,882,000 10.92 1817-18 to 1821-22 … 2,256,000 11.25 1822-23 to 1826-27 … 2,603,000 11.87 1827-28 to 1831-32 … 2,590,000 12.03 1832-33 to 1836-37 … 2,036,000 9.72 1837-38 to 1841-42 … 2,593,000 12.37 1842-43 to 1846-47 … 2,798,000 11.65 1847-48 to 1851-52 … 2,438,000 9.14 1852-53 to 1855-56 … 2,677,000 9.17 1792-93 to 1855-56 … 2,118,000 11.07

24 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Customs Revenue : its yield and ratio to the entire revenue of British India. Periods Average Annual Revenue Ratio to the Total Revenue (Per cent) 1792-93 to 1796-97 … 192,000 2.38 1797-98 to 1881-82 … 304,000 3.10 1802-03 to 1806-07 … 596,000 4.16 1807-08 to 1811-12 … 807,000 5.04 1812-13 to 1816-17 … 1,159,000 6.68 1817-18 to 1821-22 … 1,667,000 8.32 1822-23 to 1826-27 … 1,663,000 7.58 1827-28 to 1831-32 … 1,747,000 8.12 1832-33 to 1836-37 … 1,506,000 7.19 1837-38 to 1841-42 … 1,418,000 6.76 1842-43 to 1846-47 … 1,449,000 6.02 1847-48 to 1851-52 … 1,439,000 5.40 1852-53 to 1855-56 … 1,611,000 5.52 1792-93 to 1855-56 … 1,190,000 6.22 Miscellaneous Revenue : its yield and ratio to the Entire Revenue of British India. Periods Average Annual Revenue Ratio to the Total Revenue (Per cent) 1792-93 to 1796-97 … 2,315,000 28.64 1797-98 to 1801-02 … 3,809,000 38.79 1802-03 to 1806-07 … 6,857,000 47.87 1807-08 to 1811-12 … 7,452,000 46.49 1812-13 to 1816-17 … 3,990,000 23.16 1817-18 to 1821-22 … 1,392,000 6.94 1822-23 to 1826-27 … 1,986,000 9.05 1827-28 to 1831-32 … 1,789,000 8.31 1832-33 to 1836-37 … 3,059,000 14.60 1837-38 to 1841-42 … 1,434,000 6.84 1842-43 to 1846-47 … 1,636,000 6.80 1847-48 to 1851-52 … 1,977,000 7.40 1852-53 to 1855-56 … 1,575,000 5.39 1792-93 to 1855-56 ... 3,043,000 15.90

25ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY This much for the sources of revenue and amounts raised from each one of them and their proportions to the whole. On the expenditure side we note the following heads : (1) Charges incident to the collection of revenue. (2) Military and naval charges. (3) Civil, judicial and police. (4) Public works. (5) Interest on Bond Debt in India. (6) Allowances and assignments to native princes under treaties and their engagements. (7) Home charges which included : (a) Interest on Home Bond Debt. (b) Dividends to Proprietors of East India stock. (c) Payments on account of Her Majesty’s Troops and establishment. (d) Charges of the East India House and Board of Control. A tabular arrangement of the expenditure in chronological sequence may be of some value. Selecting the period 1800 to 1857 we my take every tenth year as a representative year and mark the percentage ratio of Charges to the Revenue of that particular year. Net Revenue Charges Military Charges Interest of Debt. Civil & Political Charges Judicial Charges Provincial Police Charges Bldgs. & Fortifications £ £ % % %% % % 1809-10 ... 11,238,000 11,076,000 58,877 18,010 7.221 7.525 1.991 1.639 1819-20 ... 13,016,000 12,934,000 64,290 12.805 8.900 6.800 2.093 1.756 1820-30 ... 14,200,000 13,107,000 53,754 12.124 9.575 7.107 1.535 2.810 1830-40 ... 13,742,000 13,004,000 57,721 9.756 12.296 9.565 2.062 1.428 1840-50 ... 19,510,000 16,404,000 51,662 10.512 8.902 7.100 2.062 1.661 1857 … 33,303,000 28,079,000 45,55 7.19 9.62 9.38 Public Works According to Professor Adams the finances of a country are to be judged from the viewpoint of developmental expenditure : and