Innovative Thoughts International Research Journal pISSN 2321-5143 eISSN 2347-5722 Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2014 1 Retrieved from: http://itirj.naspublishers.com/

Innovative Thoughts International Research Journal pISSN 2321-5143 eISSN 2347-5722 Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2014 39 Retrieved from: http://itirj.naspublishers.com/ BRITISH ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM IN THE REGION, (DT) TAMILNADU Dr.V.P.Thangavelu1 Abstract The Musiri Region - Musiri Geography - Wallace’s Reforms - Establishment - Ayalur Taluk Merged with Musiri - Combined Musiri Taluk - Taluk Administration - Divisional Administration - Firka Administration 1861 - Duties of Firka Revenue Inspectors - Village Administration. Keywords: Wallace’s – Ayalur - Nirambam and Kadarambam - C. Pelly – Firka. INTRODUCTION is bounded on the east by Thanjavur and , on the south by Madurai, on the west by Coimbatore and parts of Salem and on the north by Salem and south Arcot districts. Situated principally between, 10016’ and 11032’ northern latitude and 7808’ and 79030’ eastern longitudes with an area of 4500 square miles. The district is divided into two unequal portions by the river . The two territorial divisions are traditionally called Nirambam and kadarambam. Trichinopoly came under the company’s management in 1801. The southern portion of Trichinopoly is located along the Kaveri River. The northern half is a dry area. In the year 1801, the Arcot Nawab renounced the civil and military government of the Carnatic including the present area of the Tiruchirappalli, became a district under the administrative control of the East Company on 31 July 1801 and John Wallace, Jr., became the first collector of the District. In June 1805, Tiruchirappalli district was made a sub division of the then Thanjavur district. But in August 1808, the old position was restored and Tiruchirappalli once again became a separate district. In 1817- 1818 the district was sub divided as wet taluks and dry taluks. In the Musiri Region the fertile taluk was Ayaklur (Present Sriramasamudram) and the dry taluk was . Later, Ayalir taluk was abolished and the territory was merged with the adjoining taluk and a new taluk Musiri was formed. Hence by 1860 there were nine taluks in the district. They were Konad, , Musiri, Thuraiyur, Vettukkatti, , Valikandapuram, and udayarapalauam. When the British took possession of the area now forming Tiruchirappalli district, Kattupputhur mittah of Musiri taluk was not within the territorial jurisdiction of the collector, John Wallace. Latter in 1851, Kattuputhur was transferred to Tiruchirappalli District. THE MUSIRI REGION Musiri Region covers the present , Taluk and Musiri Taluk which formed until recently part of the old Tiruchirappalli District in Tamilnadu. However for convenience’s sake, the present taluk divisions are followed in this research paper as all the existing sources and other publications follow only the present taluks. MUSIRI GEOGRAPHY The Musiri is located at 10057’ latitude 78030’ longitude. It has an average elevation of 82 metres (269 feet). The Musiri region in comprised Thuraiyur Taluk, Musiri Taluk and , This region is bounded by the Taluk and District. On the North by Cauvery river on the south by on the east and by Namakkal Taluk and district on the West. The villages of these region mostly located on the northern side of the Cauvery River, being well irrigated channels from Cauvery river are very fertile. Musiri

1 Associate professor in History {Retired}, PG and Research Department of History, Arignar Anna Government Arts College Musiri, Trichy dt. Tamilnadu.

40 Innovative Thoughts International Research Journal pISSN 2321-5143 eISSN 2347-5722 Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2014 Retrieved from:hhttp://itirj.naspublishers.com/ is a moderate, sized village, situated on the bank of Cauvery, almost exactly opposite to Kulithalai of District. According to the Report of Tiruchirappalli District north circle (1920). WALLACE’S REFORMS John Wallace in 1802-1803 demarcated the district into divisions and taluks as below. The Ayalur Taluk (Present Sri Ramasamudram) was in the western division and the Thuraiyur was in the northern division both come under the Musiri Region. MUSIRI TALUK ESTABLISHMENT Prior to the year 1861, the district was divided into nine taluks namely Konad, Lalgudi, Musiri, Thuraiyur, Vettukatti, Manapparai, Valikandapuram, Ariyalur and Udaiyarpalayam. In 1861 Mr. Pelly’s scheme, out of the old Musiri and Thuraiyur Taluks, the new Musiri taluk was formed in the year 1861, with head- quarters at Musiri. AYALUR TALUK MERGED WITH MUSIRI For the purpose of assessment traditionally, Tiruchirappalli was divided into two tracts such as Nirarambam Kadarambam. Nirarambam area is Thottiyam, Kattupputhur, Ayalur (Present Sriramsamudram) part of Musiri area. The Kadarambam is Thuraiyur Taluk, North of Musiri taluk. In the year 1818, the district was divided into various taluks by the then collector Lushington. In the Musiri Region, two taluks were established namely Aylur the wet taluks and Thuraiyur the dry taluk. In 1856 Ayalur taluk was abolished and the territory was merged with the adjoining taluk and a new taluk Musiri was formed. COMBINED MUSIRI TALUK In the year 1861, C. Pelly, a member of the then board of revenue formulated a scheme, according to which the taluk in the were rearranged and reclassified. As per the re-arrangement, the nine taluks of the district were demarcated into five. The old taluks of Musiri and Thuraiyur were combined together and it was called Musiri taluk. The head quarters of the Musiri taluk was still continue to be in the village of the same name. Taking in view of the responsibility and administrative importance, C. Pelly graded the Musiri Taluk as II. Effective general administration for the first time, the posts of Deputy Tahsildar were created by C. Pelly in 1861 and they were stationed mostly in the towns next important to the taluk head quarters. According to which, the Musiri taluk’s headquarters of deputy Tahsildar was at Thuraiyur. TALUK ADMINISTRATION The taluk office occupies a very important position in the general administration of the taluk. Tahsildar is in charge of revenue and general administration at taluk level who is assisted by headquarters deputy Tahsildar, Taluk supply officer, Taluk Surveyor, other deputy Tahsildar, Assistants, Junior Assistants and other supporting staff. DIVISIONAL ADMINISTRATION The Revenue divisions of the Tiruchirappalli district are headed by the revenue divisional officers. He assists the district collector in the proper implementation of the policies and programmes of the government. He is the sub-divisional magistrate responsible for the maintenance of law and order in the revenue division. In Tiruchirappalli district, the four revenue divisional villages - Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Musiri and Ariyalur continue to exist since inception. FIRKA ADMINISTRATION 1861 The taluks were further divided into ‘Firkas’ and left under the administrative control of the Revenue inspectors. Primary functions are to supervise the work of the village administrative officers and ensure that the village accounts are properly maintained. In all the matters referred to him by the Tahsildar, he has to inspect,

Innovative Thoughts International Research Journal pISSN 2321-5143 eISSN 2347-5722 Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2014 41 Retrieved from: http://itirj.naspublishers.com/ enquire and send reports. Out of their main duty, was raising assessment and collection of various revenue due to the government from their respective Jurisdiction, the set-up then in existence, in course of time, paved the way for the growth of the present administrative set-up. The following statement gives the details of the Revenue Inspectors and their Jurisdiction as in 1861. DUTIES OF FIRKA REVENUE INSPECTORS 1. Azmoish. 2. Inspection of boundary marks. 3. Inspection of village accounts 4. Inspection of Fasli Jasthi, cases of remission and tree pattas. 5. Collection of Land revenue. 6. Miscellaneous items of field work. 7. In cases of natural calamities, make immediate arrangements. 8. Security of Birth and death Registers 9. Inspection of all cases of alienation 10. Detection of forest offence cases. 11. Inspection of village stone depots. 12. Scrutiny and approval of accounts prepared by the village administrative officers for the annual Jamabandhi. 13. Verification and distribution of Patta pass books. 14. Participation in the mass conduct programme in the village. 15. Inspection of irrigation sources. VILLAGE ADMINISTRATION In September 1868, the erstwhile bound of Revenue directed the collector of Tiruchirappalli District to draw up serene for the revision of the village establishment of the district. By that time, the village officers were bearing the following designation. 1. Pattamaniagars 2. Karnams 3. Vettiyans 4. Talaiyaris 5. Shorffs 6. Vattarayasam 7. Tandalkarans 8. Ursevagan 9. Mooppans 10. Niranies 11. Koudiotees (Pondmen)

42 Innovative Thoughts International Research Journal pISSN 2321-5143 eISSN 2347-5722 Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2014 Retrieved from:hhttp://itirj.naspublishers.com/ 12. Pannaikaran. The Maniyagars were the village Munsiffs. The Pannaikarans were Assistant to Maniyagars. CONCLUSION The system of village administration introduced by the British Government continued with suitable changes then and there upto 14 November 1980. The Government having decided to streamline the village administration and to make village officers as full time officials abolished the old system of part-time village headman and karnam and created the full time post of village administrative officers. In Musiri taluk, Musiri Panchayat was established in 1886. It functioned from 12-07-1886, promoted as town panchayat and it was promoted as first grade town panchayat from 23-05-1960. Then it was upgraded as special town panchayat on 20-10-1970. REFERENCES General Report of the Musiri Selection Grade Town Panchayat, 2003, John Wallace’s Report, selection from the Record of the Collectorate of Trichinopoly, dated 22 January 1802. Letter from Lushington, in BOR Proceedings, 02 September, 1819. Letter from the Collector of Trichinopoly to FSG, in BOR Proceedings, 14 March, 1803. Letter from Wallace to 22 January, 1802, in BOR Proceeding 13 September, 1802. Letter from Wallace to BOR 22 January, 1902, in BOR Proceedings 13 September, 1802. Lewis, Moore. (1878). Manual of the in the Madras Presidency, (New Delhi: Cosmo Publications. Manual of the Administration of the Madras Presidency, Vol. III, (Madras: Government Press, 1893). Mizushima, Tsukasa. (1986). Nattar and the Socio-Economic Change in South India in the 18th -19th Centuries, Study on Languages and Cultures of Asia& Africa, Monograph Series No.19, New Delhi: Asian Publishers. Note book of general information of the north Tiruchinopoly circle, chennai: Government Press, 1920. Report from the Collector at Trichinopoly, para.134 in BOR Proceedings, 13 September, 1802. Sundaraj, T. (2003). History of Tiruchirappalli, (Tiruchirappalli: Sundar Publications. Tiruchirappalli census of India, 1991, Directorate of census operations, , series – 23, Part XII – B, District Census Handbook. Tiruchirappalli census of India, 1991, Directorate of census operations, Tamil Nadu, series – 23, Part XII – B, District Census Handbook.

Innovative Thoughts International Research Journal pISSN 2321-5143 eISSN 2347-5722 Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2014 83 Retrieved from: http://itirj.naspublishers.com/ Submit articles at www.naspublishers.com