Sir Madhavan Nair.-This is an appeal from a judgment and decree of the High Court of Judicature at Madras1, dated 28th September, 1943, which reversed a judgment and decree of the Subordinate Judge of Masulipatam, dated 6th September, 1941, and allowed the plaintiff’s suit with costs.

The appellants before the Board were defendants 1 to 30, and will, hereinafter, be referred to as the “defendants.” Respondent I was the sole plaintiff in the suit. He will be referred to hereinafter as the “plaintiff.” The other respondents were defendants, and are said to have changed sides and now joined respondent 1.

The appeal arises out of a suit instituted by the plaintiff, an inamdar (holder of an inam), to eject a large number of cultivating ryots of lands, 20.28 acres in extent, situated in the village of Lellagaruvu, in the taluk of Bandar, Kistna District.

Inam is a well-known word of “arabic” origin which means reward or favour. The word came into use after the Muhammadan conquest. In ancient days, grants of land, or revenue, were made by Hindu sovereigns to individuals, particular families, or communities for various purposes, or to religious institutions, for their upkeep. These we