transfers merely his own territorial rights, not theirs; but Dursun
Sing, before the year 1820, had, by rack-renting, lending on
mortgage, and other fraudulent or violent means, deprived all the
Syud proprietors of their lands in the other five villages. They
were, however, still left in possession of Bhudursa. He pursued the
same system, as far as possible, in the other districts, which were,
from time to time, placed under him, as contractor for the revenue.
He held the contract for Sultanpoor and other districts, altogether
yielding fifty-nine lacs of rupees a-year, in 1827; and it was then
that he first bethought himself of securing his family permanently in
the possession of the lands he had seized, or might seize upon, by
_bynamahs_, or deeds of sale, from the old proprietors.

He imposed upon the lands he coveted, rates which he knew they could
never pay; took all the property of the proprietors for rent, or for
the wages of the mounted and foot soldiers, whom he placed over them,
or quartered upon their villages, to enforce his demands; seized any
neighbouring banker or capitalist whom he could lay hold of, and by
confinement and harsh treatment, made him stand security for the
suffering proprietors, for sums they never owed; and when these
proprietors were made to appear to be irretrievably involved in debt
to the State and to individuals, and had no hope of release from
prison by any other means, they consented to sign the _bynamahs_, or
sale deeds for lands, which their families had possessed for
centuries. Those of the capitalists who had no friends at Court were
made to pay the money, for which they had been forced to pledge
themselves; and those who had such friends, got the sums which they
had engaged to pay, represented as irrecoverable balances due by
proprietors, and struck off. The proprietors themselves, plundered of
all they had in the world, and without any hope of redress, left the