[Sir Salar Jung, Prime Minister of Hyderabad.] Anonymous manuscript article in English, written from an Indian rather than British viewpoint, praising, with financial statistics, the economic achievements of the first 25 years of his administration.

Three items: the full article, the beginning of an earlier draft, and an annotated table. All in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Unusually, the article is not written from a British point of view, but rather in praise Jung's achievements from within Hyderabad itself (the author refers to 'the results we have here obtained'). Despite complaining of what he calls the 'scant records have come down to us', the author is able to present his case with a deal of economic information. ONE: The main article is 14pp., foolscap 8vo, with the first ten pages (paginated 1-10) on ten leaves of foolscap 8vo laid paper (with 1874 Britannia watermark of Charles & Thomas, London), and the last four pages (repaginated 11-14 from 13-16) on a bifolium of foolscap 8vo blue paper (with 1873 Leschallas Universal Foolscap watermark). This version is complete, and a fair copy, but there is a disjunction between p.10 (which refers the reader to 'p 13 blue paper' for the continuation) and p.11 (repaginated from 'p 13'), caused by the author's having recast the first ten pages from an earlier draft of which the last four pages constitute the conclusion. Consequently p.10 ends: 'The increase, which thus accrued, will be seen from the following comparative statement, wherein the revenue', and p.11 begins: 'The increase which thus took place is shown in the following comparative statement, in which the revenue [...]'. The article begins: 'There are, probably, few persons, who have got an adequate idea of the enormous beneficial changes, which have been wrought in the Hyderabad state in the course of the last twenty-five years. Many indeed, have a hazy notion of astounding reforms having been effected during this period, and defects of the deadliest consequence in the various departments of government, that had thriven for long ages, having been remedied and removed. But it is only a limited number of persons, who have intimately watched and carefully studied the progress of events, that are able thoroughly to appreciate the magnitude and importance of the task, which Sir Salar Jung has succeeded, in slowly but steadily, accomplishing. Every branch of the administration has been overhauled under His Excellency's immediate eye, and fresh life and vigour introduced into all, so that, one who has the recollection of what the state was a score of years ago, can hardly recognise it in its present condition.' The author contrasts the state of 'the area of land now under cultivation' with that of 'a quarter of a century ago', when 'the country was in such a sad state of confusion and disorder, and the revenue administration, like all other branches of government, so irregularly conducted, without method or system, that but scant records have come down to us, from which to ascertain the extent of agriculture in those unhappy days. It is only with reference to a few talooks, here and there, that some scraps of information have been fortunately preserved in papers in the possession of Deshmookhs and Deshpandays'. There follows the first of five tables, indicating 'an increase of 558916 beegas, or of 63.88 per cent, in the extent of cultivated land, in the several talooks alluded to, between 1260 and 1270 Fuslee'. The second table shows that 'out of the total area of government land, 87.1 per cent, was under tillage in 1284. This proportion is higher than in Berar or in the Bombay Presidency'. After further discussion and a third table the author asserts that 'these striking results are, as we have already said, the immediate fruits of the judicious reforms, introduced by H. E. Sir Salar Jung in every branch of the administration, since he assumed the reigns [sic] of authority. Before his advent, the country was in a deplorable condition of anarchy and disorganization, lawlessness and violence was the order of the day. It was the strong arm that prevailed.' Later on (p.9) the author expands on this theme: 'The prospect before him was truly gloomy, when, in 1263 Fuslee, H.E. Sir Salar Jung came to the ministership. He found talookdars, jazeerdars, and others in possession of so vast tracts, obtained direct from the Nizam, that, what land remained unalienated yielded only a sum of Rs.4108498-8-0 annually as land revenue, and Rs - 4806749-9-3 as the total income from all sources.' The author goes on to describe how Jung went about 'energetically to recover what the state had thus lost', contrasting 'the results we have here obtained, with what we see in Berar'. The article concludes with a description of state revenue, including 'Rs. 817865 on account of Sarf-Kha's and jazeers, the revenue of which belonged to the Nizam up to 1860, in which year the right to it was, by treaty, made over to the British government'. TWO: Earlier draft of the first part of the article, headed in pencil 'chiefly duplicate'. 8pp., foolscap 8vo, also on Charles & Thomas paper. THREE: Manuscript table (with columns Year, Land Revenue, Abkari, Customs, Miscellaneous, Total), with 'Remarks' to the right of it. 1p., landscape 8vo.