Mahal
Also called: Revenue estate · Topic: Colonial Economy: Land Revenue, Drain, Deindustrialisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Colonialism and the Countryside"
Meaning
A mahal is a revenue estate in British revenue records. It could be one village or a group of villages. Under the Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal, a zamindar's estate could include many villages, sometimes up to 400. The Company fixed the total revenue due from the whole estate. The zamindar then collected rent from the ryots in each village. If he failed to pay, his mahals could be sold at auction.
Example
In 1797, several mahals belonging to the Raja of Burdwan were put up for public auction because of unpaid revenue.
Don't confuse with
- Mahalwari system: this was a separate revenue system used mainly in north India, in which revenue was settled with the village community. A mahal is just the estate unit itself.
Related concepts
- Izaradari system
- Lord Cornwallis
- Permanent Settlement
- Collector
- Amlah
- Cutcherry
- Sunset law
- Bengal Tenancy Act 1885