District Court, Patiala

ABOUT DISTRICT COURT

Before the time of His Highness Maharaja Karm Singh, the administrative and judicial work of the State was in the hands of the thanadars (faujdars of the Ain-i-Akbari), the collectors of revenue (ugraha) being under them. There was no treasury and no court. In each pargana there was a thanadar, and in Sunam and Patiala proper there were kotwals. Their decisions in civil and criminal cases were final. Claims and offences, of whatever nature, were disposed of after verbal enquiry. No record of evidence was made and no judgement prepared. Final orders were given by word of mouth. The people acquisced in the decisions and seldom appealed to the Diwan or Wazir. There was no regular law in force; the customs and usages of the country were followed in deciding cases and had the force of law. The panchayat system was generally in vogue, and boundary disputes specially were referred to arbitration. The administering of oaths (nem) to the litigants was a great factor in bringing cases to an amicable settlement. The offenders were generally fined, but habitual and grave offenders were imprisoned without and fixed term of years and were released at the pleasure of the presiding[...]