.png)
Revenue System In India | Class 8 | History | PPT
----------------------------
Tax from the land was a major source of revenue for the kings and emperors from ancient times. But the ownership pattern of land had witnessed changes over centuries.
During Kingship, the land was divided into Jagirs, Jagirs were alloted to Jagirdars, these Jagirdars split the land they got and allocated to sub-ordinate Zamindars.
Zamindars made peasants cultivate the land, in return collected part of their revenue as tax.
1. Zamindari System (Permanent Land Revenue Settlement)
- Zamindari System was introduced by Cornwallis in 1793 through the Permanent Settlement Act.
- It was introduced in the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Varanasi.
- Also known as Permanent Settlement System.
- Zamindars were recognized as the owner of the lands. Zamindars were given the rights to collect the rent from the peasants.
- While the zamindars became the owners of the land, the actual farmers became tenants.
- The tax was to be paid even at the time of poor yield.
- The tax was to be paid in cash. Before introducing this system, the tax could be paid in kind.
- The realized amount would be divided into 11 parts. 1/11 of the share belongs to Zamindars and 10/11 of the share belongs to East India Company.
2. Ryotwari System
- Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro in 1820.
- This was the primary land revenue system in South India.
- Major areas of introduction include Madras, Bombay, parts of Assam and Coorg provinces of British India.
- In Ryotwari System the ownership rights were handed over to the peasants. British Government collected taxes directly from the peasants.
- The revenue rates of the Ryotwari System were 50% where the lands were dry and 60% in irrigated land.
- Though ownership of land was vested with the farmers, excessive tax impoverished them. Furthermore, the tax rates were frequently increased.
3. Mahalwari System
- Holt Mackenzie introduced the Mahalwari system in 1822. Later, during the reign of William Bentick, the system was reformed (1833).
- In North-West India, this was the primary land revenue system.
- It was introduced in British India's Central Province, North-West Frontier, Agra, Punjab, Gangetic Valley, and other areas.
- The land was divided into Mahals under this system. Each Mahal is made up of one or more villages.
- For tax purposes, the entire village (Mahal) was treated as a single unit. Tax collection was delegated to the village headman or village committee.
- The peasants were given ownership rights.
- The Mahalwari system incorporated many features from both the Zamindari and Ryotwari systems.
Conclusion
Various types of revenue settlements gave rise to a new form of private ownership of land in which the benefit of the innovation did not reach the cultivators. Instead, it led to the impoverishment of the peasantry and hence rural indebtedness. With zamindar’s permanent right on land, the ownership of land became inequal. The land became saleable, mortgageable, and alienable to protect the government’s revenue. The British land revenue systems exposed the Indian peasantry to the exploitation of the moneylenders and the middlemen.
