Advice to the Indian Aristocracy/Chapter 13
MANAGEMENT.
This is also one of the most important subjects for us all. But as the mode of management differs in details in various estates, I shall now deal with its general principles only. Let us suppose you are fortunate enough to be trained and brought up under your father, and that you attain your majority before you succeed to your estate. If your father, during his life-time, entrusts you with some of the office work, it is well and good. If he does not, then keep in touch with the Zamindari affairs and with high officers of the estate as much as possible. But do not spend your time idly or in luxuries. Never say a word to any one in the way of finding fault with your father. Though you may find some of the items of expenditure are necessary or extravagant, you must not think of such items, unless your father is not saving money and improving the estate.
Whatever be the circumstances under which you succeed to your estate, i.e., whether you were or were not under the Court of Wards, you must consider all the money lying in the Treasury in the form of savings at the time of your succession, and all the landed property added to the ancient estate before your succession, in other words, all the movable and immovable property, as part of your ancient property, and you should never spend a single pie or alienate a small piece of the newly acquired land. But try to improve the personal and the real estate.
On the other hand, suppose that the estate was unfortunately involved in debt. If so, never think of buying this or that, of charity and of name, but clear off your debt first and think of other matters afterwards. I know a friend who was very careful in his expenditure till he had cleared off his debt and had saved a little. But I have, of course, heard of only a few men of that stamp.
It is always a very good thing to do to continue the same Manager or Dewan for a few years. If you find him able and honest, you may continue him longer. Even the Government will, on your application, lend you, for a few years, the services of the same Manager that was managing your estate under the Court of Wards.
If you have to select a Manager or a Dewan before you are well acquainted with the management, even for a fairly high salary, get a retired Deputy Collector as a Manager, or the Dewan of some estate who has had the reputation of being able and honest. If you and your Manager are both strangers to work, you will never know what is to be done and you will become a loser in many ways. Whatever abilities he has, watch him carefully and do most of the work yourself with the aid of such a man. Then you will learn the business in detail and he cannot cheat you even if he wishes to do so; because you do and know the business in detail.
After the first period suppose you have to select another Manager. It is always good to employ one whom you know well. If you hear of any one who is an able man, send for him, see him frequently and, if you find he appears to you a suitable man, then appoint him as your Manager. Sometimes Europeans recommend some one for the post. Their recommendation will always be good, if it is made at your request. After the first period, I think from my own experience, it is satisfactory to have two Managers instead of one. I have also noticed that the management was well conducted in some other estates, when there were two Managers. If there be only one person, he thinks too much of himself or thinks himself equal to his master; he may put off work, leave it in arrears, or may neglect to do what is to be done. If there are two Managers, they consider themselves nearly equal to each other, and so there will be a sort of rivalry between them; and in the absence of one for any cause, the other will dispose of the work. If you cannot get a suitable man for the Head Managership in your own establishment, give the second Managership to one already in your service. Then all the officers, such as Amins or Tahsildars and the heads of the various departments, will aspire to the Managership, and work hard and well. Of course this method of having two Managers is not intended for small estates.
Again, from my own experience, I should like to say that, if you can get an able and honest man from your own establishment for the Managership, that is the best. A lawyer will soon acquire revenue experience. A retired Tahsildar or a Deputy Collector, if he retires after the required service for pension or before that period on some personal cause, will make a good Manager. He will sooner than a lawyer get the revenue experience of an estate. The revenue system of a Zamindari differs in many points from that of the Government taluks. The Zamindari officials have also no such powers as those possessed by the Government officials. If the Government official served his full period of service, i.e., till he should be forced to retire under the fifty-five years' rule, he would not be of much use to any Zamindari. Generally do not keep one in the Manager's post for more than ten years. First give him five years' term; then, if you are satisfied with him after that period, you can extend it for two or three years more or till he finishes the ten years' time.
I tried two schoolmasters as Managers, and I have heard of a few other school-masters who have been made Managers; but from my experience I cannot recommend Managers to be chosen from this class. It is different with teachers who were not schoolmasters before and who have been employed in teaching young Zamindars at their own homes, for such teachers will be in touch with the affairs of the management. Of those some have turned out capable Managers. Not only the teachers, but their pupils brought up at home, will be in touch with the management; and the latter will generally become competent Zamindars. But I think I should not like that a Zamindar should appoint his own tutor as his Manager or his Private Secretary : in such cases a lack of independence is generally observed in the master's judgment. In this connection let me tell you that you should never keep any relative of yours in a high office in your Zamindari, if he thinks that because he is your relative he is entrusted with that post.
Don't give too much power to the Manager over the Amins or Tahsildars and the heads of departments, but keep such power to yourself. Sign every payment cheque, all credit orders and chittas. Chittas means various account books kept, one for each separate branch, such as cash, bank, jewelry, gold, silver, temple property, and many other minor accounts.
Never allow your officials to file summary and ejectment suits against your tenants without your special sanction. Find out now and then whether your officials cause any oppression to them. Be kind to the tenants, give them opportunities to represent their grievances. You must always keep the tanks, channels and other water-sources in good repair. Provide your villages with drinking-water tanks and wells, and also roads, if needed. At the beginning of the Fasli (official year) get a budget prepared, see in what items you can curtail the expenditure, and in what items you are spending money extravagantly.
Always be kind to all your servants and officials, give them presents with pleasure when they do their work better than their equals and, mind you, punish them with regret when they arc punishable. If they begin to go wrong, show your displeasure by slight punishment, but at the same time give them a chance to redeem the past. You should not give to any person any chance to use his influence over you. All your decisions must be independent. Never let go any person, let him be your greatest favourite, without inflicting on him the punishment that he deserves.
Pay their salaries without fail in the first week of every month. Help them with money in marriages, &c., or by paying their salaries in advance when they need such help. Make rules for every sort of pecuniary help you wish to show to your servants, and also in some cases to your ryots. Then you will have no botheration in that matter. On the whole, you should become so popular with your people that even those that have been punished by you for their faults should not say a word against you, but should always evince loyal feelings towards you.