FASLI CALENDAR
It is a combination of two words 1)
Fasli and 2) Calendar.
Fasli : It is derived from the Arabised Urdu work “Fasal”,
which means Harvest. In India, it was applied to
the groupings of the seasons.
Calendar : A chart or series of pages showing the days,
weeks, and months of a particular year.
From the above said two definitions, we can say that Fasli
Calendar means a calendar, which was introduced basing on the seasons and harvest
for land revenue and records purpose.
Background
: A historical analysis of
ancient Indian Policy suggests that tax on land played a pivotal part in the
evolution and maintenance of the systems of governance. Right from the time of
Manu, the Land Revenue has been a major source of income of the sovereign.
During the Mauryan and Gupta periods, the revenue was collected by the paid
officials, which resembles the present day Revenue Administration system.
But, there is no chronological system till the Mughal
emperor Akbar. The
process of Revenue Administration was started by Sher Shah Suri (1540-45). It
was continued and improved upon under the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akber
(1556-1605). Todar Mal - greatest revenue expert who started his career under
Sher Shah Suri joined in the service of Akbar, is remembered even to this day
for evolving a system of revenue assessment and survey, a system which drew a
balance between the demands of the State and needs of the subjects. From this period the “Fasli Calendar” was
introduced in northern India.
The system was introduced into the Deccan
(southern India) by Shah Jahān
in the 1630s.
Current
Status : After India annexed Hyderabad
State, last Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII was made rajpramukh
who used to follow and mention Fasli Calendar in his official sanctions
and records. Currently Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Board,
Nizam Trust follows Fasli Calendar simaltaniously with Gregorian calendar and Islamic
calendar to maintain records. The Andhra Pradesh Government, Karnataka Governmen and
the Tamilnadu Government still follows Fasli
Year in all of their revenue and judiciary purposes.
How to
calculate Fasli Year : Fasli year starts from 01st July
to 30th June.
Method - 1 :
To know the Fasli year basing on the Gregorian Calendar or English Calendar, we have
to subtract 590 to the English Calendar.
e.g : To know the fasli year for the year
2012-13.
Fasli Year =
Gregorian Calendar Year – 590
i.e 2012 – 590 = 1422 (Fasli Year)
To know English
Year from the Fasli 1422.
Gregorian
Calendar year = Fasli Year + 590
i.e. 1422 +
590 = 2012 (Fasli Year 2012-13)
Method - 2 :
In this method, we have to add 10 to the last two digits of Gregorian Calendar
Year and add 14 before it.
e.g : To know the fasli year for the year
2012-13.
Fasli Year =
Last two digits of Gregorian Calendar Year + 10.
From the
year 2012, we have to take last two digits i.e. 12
12 + 10 = 22
then we have to add 14 before 22.
Then fasli
year for Gregorian Calendar Year 2012-13 is 1422.
To know the
Gregorian Calendar Year from the fasli year we have add 10 to the last two
digits of fasli year.
Gregorian
Calendar Year = Last two digits of Fasli Year + 10.
Fasli Year
1422.
We have to
take 22-10 = 12. It is the Gregorian
Calendar Year 2012-13 for Fasli 1422.
Reference :
1) LAND REVENUE
ADMINISTRATION – A HISTORICAL LOOK by C.
Umamaheswara Rao, IAS.,
