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 countrys 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

ahalwari Settlement

he 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 Zaminda
rThey deducted 10% from
total collection & rest
was deposited with the
Co. about the way to collect
Co. Was not concerned
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 states 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

Britis Tillers
Zamindar
h
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
Q. Main features of the British rule, i.e., Bengal,
Permanent Settlement Bihar, Banaras, division of
the Northern
Western Provinces and
northern Karnatak
Zamindari system or the
permanent settlement
in 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 Implementatio
A. Ryotwari Settlement n
Madras, Coorg,
Why new system?
Assam, East
Old system was having problems Bengal,
EIC was expanding its territory Bombay
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 systemProvinces,
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
Q. Implications/ Significance of the British Land
Revenue Policy Doogna lagan
5. Neglect of traditional rights dena padega
& claims of both peasants &
village community
6.High rate of revenue
Heavy incidence of
taxation
7.Harsh method of
collection
8.Absence of
remission/rebate/concess
ion even @ time of
natural calamity
Development Land Revenue Policy
Q. Implications/ Significance of the British 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 (Borrowed
Constitution) from)
A. Land allotted to big feudal land
1. Jagirdari
lords
2. Ryotwari
B. Land allotted to revenue farmers of
3. Mahalwari
rent collectors
4. Zamindari
C. Land allotted to each peasent with
right to sublet, mortgage transfer, gift
or sell
D. Revenue settlements made at ABCD
village level
(a) 1 3 2 4
(b) 1 4 2 3
(c) 3 4 1 2
(d) 2 1 3 4
Thank You