it is hell up, and confidered by the inhabitants in general, as an example worthy of imitation, for neceffary policy, confiderate humanity, rigid and univerfal juftice. At the fame time that the Zemindars had defrauded the Public Treafury, they fqueezed with the iron hand of oppreffion the induftrious husbandinen and manufacturers. The first object, therefore, of Ruftum Khan's Government was the total extirpation of fuch mercilefs tyrants. Thofe who escaped the fword, were proclaimed as traitors; and a reward being offered for their own with adherent heads, a fufficient number was foon collected to erect two of thofe fhocking pyramidal monuments, called Kulla Minar, near each of the provincial capitals; for one of which kind, though on a larger fcale, the cruelty of Nadir Shah is held in Europe fo juftly in abhorrence. The remains of one of thofe fingular proofs of eaftern depravity, the caufe or effect of the most violent defpotism, are still be seen in the neighbourhood of Massulipatam; and might be suppofed to ferve as a leffon of ufeful inftruction to the natives, to contraft and revere

the lenity of their actual Government. But the Legislature will affuredly be dif appointed, who expects to find in Hindoftan the operation of free, enlarged reason and reflection; and the characteristical traits of the people, as fketched by the great Tamerlane in his celebrated inftitutions, would not have been fo long and univerfally admitted by his imperial fucceffors as making the true unchangeable features of their fubjects, as well as indicating the infallible standard of practical rule in politics, if they had not been drawn with exact fimilitude by a fuperior discerning genius, and the hand of a master. Accordingly, the fevere administration of Ruftum Khan, which he now farther dif tinguished by substituting Aumeens, supervifors, or temporary collectors, in the room of the annihilated refractory Zemindars, is become as proverbial, for exemplary excellence in the Circars; as that of faffier Khan, who devifed the famous loathfome torture of the Bykunta, or Paradife, to extort from fimilar delinquents in Bengal, the fettled revenue of the Soubah collected from the Reyuts. Still, however,

the Jumma Kaumil, or original affeffment continued at an under rate on the Chalfah records; and the benefits derived by the ftate from fuperior management, were always temporary, depending on the personal ability of the individual employed, and for the most part flowing in through the private channels of corruption. Mussulman depravity, indolence, and ignorance, foon made it neceffary to recur to the ancient fyftem of finance, through the agency of Hindoo farmers-general; who to remedy the evils of a fluctuating government, were made to have a permanent intereft in the foil and general profperity of the country, by certain local privileges, which were so invariably continued in the fame family by fucceffive Aumildars, that they were often miftaken by the poffeffors for hereditary rights, liable always to be enlarged in anarchy, or under the authority of natural law, when civil restraints loft all controling influence; and thus the creation of new Zemindars was in a few years productive of fresh diforders under fimilar circumstances throughout the whole extent of the Northern Circars.

French Rule.

When thefe provinces were annexed to the French dominions in India, in 1753, under the Nizamut of Salabut Jung, who owed his elevation and fupport chiefly to the great addrefs and military conduc of the famous Buffy, that able politician and commander, appointed to rule the ceded territories, found himfelfunder the neceffity, but always with true measured civilized humanity, of going over the fame ground with the best of his Muffulman predeceffors, in re-establishing order and the indispensable indubitable rights of Eaftern fovereignty. Zemindars were, as ufual, difmiffed from their employments, but generally permitted to enjoy, under French Sunnuds, their Rufooms and Saverums, or conditional hereditary privileges, amounting to from eight to twelve per cent. on the net revenue collected; and, excepting in the Circar of Cicacole, there are more inftances of new creations, than total extirpation of thofe neceffary officers of Government.

Here indeed the reform was not complete. A number of petty Indian fuperintendants divided the whole province betwixt them; and family feuds, internal ufurpations, together with multiplied abufes, for ever dif turbed the public tranquillity, while they leffened the receipts greatly below the dues of the exchequer. The union or annexation of these several poffeffions under one head, appeared the most eligible fyftem of adminiftration; and Vizeram Raufe, the predeceffor, not ancestor, of the prefent Zemindar of the fame name, who then only held the four Pergunnahs, or leffer diftricts, about Vizianagrum, rendered himself the most useful and acceptable man to act in the capacity of chief.

It is not our province to trace the progrelive execution of the plan projected; and we could wish to forget fuch bloody fcenes as occurred in the acquifition of Bebilee: fuffice it to obferve, that fuccefs crowned the enterprize, and raised the favoured Vizeram to that unrivalled power and confideration, which the adopted reprefentative of his family is ftill permitted to