Land revenue systems
Also called: Zamindari, Ryotwari and Mahalwari · Topic: Land Use, Farming Systems and Cropping Seasons in India · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Land Resources and Agriculture"
Meaning
Land revenue systems were the methods the British used to collect tax from farmland. There were three main systems:
- Zamindari (Permanent Settlement, 1793) in Bengal and Bihar. Intermediary landlords (zamindars) collected and paid the revenue. It was the most exploitative system.
- Ryotwari (Munro and Reade) in Madras and Bombay. Cultivators (ryots) paid the government directly.
- Mahalwari (1820s-30s) in the North-Western Provinces and Punjab. The village community paid the revenue together.
These systems left behind unequal landholding and indebted tenants. That is why abolishing intermediaries was a main aim of land reforms after independence.
Example
Under the Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal, zamindars paid a fixed sum to the British. They squeezed tenants for as much rent as possible, which left farmers poor and with no reason to improve the land.
Don't confuse with
- Ryotwari and Mahalwari: both remove the landlord. In Ryotwari, each individual cultivator pays. In Mahalwari, the whole village (mahal) pays together.
Related concepts
- Land reforms
- Fragmentation of landholdings
- Consolidation of landholdings
- Average size of operational holding
- Unique Land Parcel Identification Number