What were the various forms of revenue settlement adopted by the British in India? How far do you think these settlements have a bearing on the current agricultural scenario in India?

Question

Accepted Answer

The British adopted one of the three land revenue systems in different parts of the country:

1. **Landlord-based system (Zamindari system)**: In the landlord areas, there was a landlord in charge of the revenue collection, and the British administration had no direct dealings with the cultivating peasants. Landlords were in effect given property rights on the land. This system was established mainly in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, the Central Provinces (modern Madhya Pradesh) and some parts of the Madras Presidency (modern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh).

2. **Individual cultivator-based system (Ryotwari system)**: In most areas of the Madras and Bombay Presidencies and also in Assam, the individual ryotwari system was adopted, in which the revenue settlement was made directly with the cultivator. Revenue rates were calculated as the money value of a share of the estimated average annual output.

3. **Village-based system (Mahalwari system)**: In the North-West Provinces and Punjab, the mahalwari system was adopted, in which village bodies that jointly owned the village were responsible for the land revenue.

**Bearing on the present agricultural scenario:**

The present state of Indian agriculture has its roots in the land settlement systems adopted by the British government. The tenant farmers are still at the mercy of the landlords, who are not interested in the development of the agricultural land. Low levels of technology, low productivity and the poor plight of the farmers mark the rural sector even today.

The high land revenue demands, exploitation by intermediaries and the lack of ownership rights given to the actual cultivators created a system in which the tiller had neither the means nor any incentive to invest in agriculture. This legacy continues to affect the productivity and welfare of the Indian farmers.