ayakut

From Persian "aya", meaning water, and "kut", meaning a share or portion.

ayakut (countable and uncountable, plural ayakuts)

1. (historical) A tax or water rate imposed by the British on farmers in India during the British colonial period for using water from wells, canals, or other water sources.
   • 1902, H.E. Clerk, Preliminary Report on the Investigation of Protective Irrigation Works and on Irrigation Under Wells in the Madras Presidency, page 30:

     The only addition I have to make is that the supplemental and ayakut wells do not appear to have been sufficiently differentiated and I would urge the extension of the former in all places where the supply to tanks is at all precarious.

   • 1914, M. Subramaniam, ‎M. V. Krishnaswamy, The Law Reports of British India - Volume 3, page 624:

     As for the ayakut accounts produced by the appellant, they are produced from the respondent's custody and they are more than fifty years old, and this special circumstance also renders them admissible as evidence of reputation unless they are shown to be tainted with suspicion.

   • 2023, Revenue Settlement Office, page 21:

     The ayakut of the sources of irrigation had in many cases been increased, much beyond the capabilities of the supply; and often a considerable unoccupied area would exist with little or no prospect of being brought under wet cultivation, which had for years been unprofitable to the State.