ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>R&#256KH&#298 SYSTEM</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="RKH*,SYSTEM"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279R&#256KH&#298 SYSTEM, the arrangement whereby the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 during the mid-decades of the eighteenth century established their sway over territories not under their direct occupation. R&#257kh&#299 , lit. &#8216protection' or 'vigilance,' referred to the cess levied by the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 upon villages which sought their protection against aggression or molestation in those disturbed times. The establishment of Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 in 1748 coincided with the first of a series of invasions by Ahmad Sh&#257h Durr&#257n&#299 which further weakened the already crumbling administration of the Mu<u>gh</u>als. The result was an utter chaos and the populace was at the mercy of the roving bands of plunderers of various descriptions. Sikhs were then the only organized people who also followed high moral standards, but they were not yet in a position to establish their direct authority. They introduced a plan offering protection of the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 to a village or a group of villages on payment of <i>r&#257kh&#299</i> or protection money. The rate varied from one-eighth to one-half, but usually it was one-fifth of the government revenue payable in two instalments corresponding to the two main harvests. The system gained currency, villages singly and in clusters opting for it. This ensured peace for the people and brought regular revenue to the Dal <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 without antagonizing the local population. In the Punjab the system lasted until 1764-65 after which the Sikh <i>misls</i> began occupying territories over which they established their regular rule under what is known as the <i>misld&#257r&#299</i> system. But <i>r&#257kh&#299</i> continued to be collected from territories in the Gangetic Do&#257b and the country between Delhi and P&#257n&#299pat right up to 1803 when the British East India Company established its power in that region.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Forster, George, <i>A Journey from Bengal to England</i>. London, 1798<BR> <li class="C1"> Prinsep, Henry T., <i>Origin of the Sikh Power in the Punjab and Political Life of Maharaja Ranjit Si&#7749gh</i>. Calcutta, 1834<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of the Sikhs</i>, vol. IV. Delhi, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Gandhi, Surjit Singh, <i>Struggle of the Sikhs for Sovereignty</i>. Delhi, 1980<BR> <li class="C1"> Bha&#7749g&#363, Ratan Si&#7749gh, <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Amritsar, 1914<BR> <li class="C1"> Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sard&#257r Jass&#257 Si&#7749gh &#256hl&#363v&#257l&#299&#257</i>. Patiala, 1969<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Har&#299 R&#257m Gupta<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>