British Rule in India

Agriculture &
Land Revenue Policy

Economic Policy
Background

India is primarily an agricultural country

Till the 18th century, there was a strong

relation between agriculture and
cottage industries in India
Background
The British destroyed this industry in the country while unleashing far-
reaching changes in the country’s agrarian structure by introducing new
systems of land tenures and policies of revenue administration

The British policies revolved around getting maximum income from land
without caring much about Indian interests of the cultivators
Background
After their advent, the British principally adopted three types of land
tenures

Zamindari System or the

Permanent Settlement

Mahalwari Settlement

The Ryotwari System

Area under different revenue were Permanent settlement-19%,

Ryotwari- 52%, and mahalwari-29%
Development Land Revenue Policy
4 Phases total
1. Phase-I
Land Revenue during Dual Government in Bengal
2.Phase-II
Izaredari/Farming System
3.Phase-III
Zamindari/Permanent Settlement
4.Phase-IV
Ryotwari, Mahalwari
Development Land Revenue Policy
1. Phase-I
Initial time of British Rule
Land Revenue during Dual Government in Bengal

Collection of Revenue through Land Tax

Who would Collector
collect Zamindar
They deducted 10% from total
collection & rest was deposited
with the Co.
Co. Was not concerned about the way to collect revenue
Development Land Revenue Policy
2. Phase-II
Izaredari /Farming System-1773
Introduced during warren Hastings times
System of Auctioning Started
Right to collect land revenue was given to the highest bidder for 5
years
This system was abolished by 1777 & annual tenure was introduced
Annual tenure also abolished by 1786 & Court of Directors asks Lord
Cornwallis to make decennial settlement (10 years) with zamindars
Development Land Revenue Policy
Inbetween Phases
Annual tenure also abolished by 1786 & Court of Directors asks Lord
Cornwallis to make decennial settlement (10 years) with zamindars, if
proved satisfactory But Q.

1. With whom the settlement was to be made

Zamindars or actual tillers?

2. What should be the state’s share in the produce of

land?

2. Should the settlement be fixed term or permanent?

John Shore
Development Land Revenue Policy
3. Phase-III
Permanent Settlement
Devised by Lord Cornwallis -1793
Zamindars were regularised as Landlords
Post was made hereditary & transferable

Zamindars given power to evict cultivators

Cultivators Became tenants in their own

land
Development Land Revenue Policy
3. Phase-III
Permanent Settlement

British Tillers
Zamindar
Zamindari system or the permanent
settlement
Due to Chaos in the revenue system

Warren Hastings introduced the annual lease system of auctioning the

land to the highest bidder
Lord Cornwallis implemented this settlement method
he decided to abolish the annual lease system and introduce a decennial
(Ten years) settlement which was subsequently declared to be
continuous Roughly 19 per cent of the total
area under the
British rule, i.e., Bengal, Bihar,
Banaras, division of the Northern
Western Provinces and northern
Karnatak
Zamindari system or the permanent
settlement
Main features of the permanent settlement

The zamindars of Bengal were recognised as the owners of land as long

as they paid the revenue to the East India Company regularly

the Government of the East India Company got 89% leaving the rest to
the zamindars

The ryots became tenants since they were considered the tillers of the
soil.

This had resulted in a great deal of misery amongst the peasants and
farmers
Development Land Revenue Policy
Area of
4. Phase-IV Implementation
A. Ryotwari Settlement Madras, Coorg,
Assam, East
Why new system?
Bengal, Bombay
Old system was having problems
EIC was expanding its territory
Not sure which settlement should be made to newly annexed
territory

Thomas Munro developed this system

Development Land Revenue Policy
4. Phase-IV
A. Ryotwari Settlement

Rent/Revenue Directly settled with the ‘Ryot’

Ryot??
Every registered land owner is recognised as proprietor of the
land
Not evicted, from his holdings as long as he pays the state
demand of revenue
Ryotwari Settlement
Sir Thomas Munro introduced this system in the Madras Presidency

Under this settlement, the peasant was recognised as the proprietor of

land

There was no intermediary like a Zamindar between the peasant and

the government
Ryotwari Settlement
There was no intermediary like a Zamindar between the peasant and
the government

So long as he paid the revenue in time, the peasant was not evicted
from the land

50% of the net produce was fixed as land revenue

The revenue officials indulged in harsh measures for non payment or

delayed payment
Development Land Revenue Policy
4. Phase-IV Area of
Implementation
B. Mahalwari Settlement Punjab, Central
Modified version of zamindari system Provinces, Awadh,
Delhi
Halt Mcanzee Pioneer

Settlement were made estate by estate or village by village

Village community considered as owner of land

Mahalwari Settlement
Under this system the basic unit of revenue settlement was the village
or the Mahal
the village lands belonged jointly to the village community
the responsibility of paying the revenue rested with the entire Mahal or
the village community

In 1833, the Mahalwari settlement was introduced in the Punjab,

the Central Provinces and parts of North Western Provinces
Development Land Revenue Policy
Q. Factors that affected the nature of land revenue settlement

1. Nature of Conquest
Slow and Gradual process

2. British Perception towards Indian Socio-Economic structure

3.Historical Experiences with the land revenue settlement

4. Influence of ideological currents

Liberals, missionaries, free traders etc.

5. Local Situations
Development Land Revenue Policy
Q. Implications/ Significance of the British Land Revenue Policy

1. Capitalist transformation of
Agrarian life

2. Entry of non agrarian class into

agriculture

3. Creation of a landed hierarchy

4. Emergence of Absentee landlordism

Development Land Revenue Policy

Doogna lagan dena

5. Neglect of traditional rights & claims padega
of both peasants & village community

6.High rate of revenue

Heavy incidence of taxation

7.Harsh method of collection

8.Absence of
remission/rebate/concession
even @ time of natural
calamity
Development Land Revenue Policy

9.Rural Indebtness Death trap

10.Eviction of Peasantry Depeasantisation

11.Emergence of new class Landless

Labours

12. Stagnation of Indian Agriculture

13.Emergence of the idea of private

property in land
Question UPSC Pre 2012
2. With reference to the Ryotwari Settlement,Consider the following
statements
1. The rent was paid directly by the peasants to the government
2. The government gave pattas to the Ryots

3. The lands were surveyed and assessed before being taxed

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only (c) Both 1 and 2

(b)1,2 and 3 (d) None of the above

Answer: B
Question UPSC Pre 2000
List-I List-II
(Features of the Indian Constitution) (Borrowed from)
A. Land allotted to big feudal land lords
1. Jagirdari
B. Land allotted to revenue farmers of rent
2. Ryotwari
collectors
3. Mahalwari
C. Land allotted to each peasent with right to
4. Zamindari
sublet, mortgage transfer, gift or sell
D. Revenue settlements made at village level

ABCD
(a) 1 3 2 4
(b) 1 4 2 3
(c) 3 4 1 2
(d) 2 1 3 4