The country was then divided into equal shares, according to the rent-roll at the time.  The half made over to the British Government has been ever since yielding more revenue to us, while that retained by the sovereign of Oude has been yielding less and less to him; and ours now yields, in land-revenue, stamp-duty, and the tax on spirits, two crore and twelve lacs a-year, while the reserved half now yields to Oude only about one crore, or one crore and ten lacs.  When the cession took place, each half was estimated at one crore and thirty-three lacs.  Under good management the Oude share might, in a few years, be made equal to ours, and perhaps better, for the greater part of the lands in our share have been a good deal impoverished by over-cropping, while those of the Oude share have been improved by long fallows.  Lands of the same natural quality in Oude, under good tillage, now pay a much higher rate of rent than they do in our half of the estate.

Almas Allee Khan, at the close of his life, was supposed to have accumulated immense wealth; but when he died he was found to have nothing, to the great mortification of his sovereign, who seized upon all.  Large sums of money had been lent by him to the European merchants at Lucknow, as well as to native merchants all over the country.  When he found his end approaching, he called for all their bonds and destroyed them.  Mr. Ousely and Mr. Paul were said to have at that time owed to him more than three lacs of rupees each.  His immense income he had expended in useful works, liberal hospitality, and charity.  He systematically kept in check the tallookdars, or great landholders; fostered the smaller, and encouraged and protected the better classes of cultivators, such as Lodhies, Koormies, and Kachies, whom he called and considered his children.  His reign over the large extent of country under his jurisdiction is considered to have been its golden age.  Many of the districts which he held were among those transferred to the British Government by the treaty of 1801; and they were estimated at the revenue which he had paid for them to the Oude Government.  This was much less than any other servant of the Oude Government would have been made to pay for them; and this accounts, in some measure, for the now increased rate they yield to us.  Others pledged themselves to pay rates which they never did or could pay; and the nominal rates in the accounts were always greater than the real rates.  He never pledged himself to pay higher rates than he could and really did pay.

Now the tallookdars keep the country in a perpetual state of disturbance, and render life, property, and industry everywhere insecure.  Whenever they quarrel with each other, or with the local authorities of the Government, from whatever cause, they take to indiscriminate plunder and murder over all lands not held by men of the same class; no road, town, village, or hamlet is secure from their merciless attacks;