Land Revenue Systems of British

Why are traders engaging in land revenue?

While LR is a subject of Government or administration, it was a major source of income from India. Thus, even in early times when they had trading intentions, they actively engaged in revenue collection as a source of income.

Farming System 1772

• similar to ijardari system
  • i.e. based on Orientalism
• right to collect LR auctioned to highest bidder (revenue farmer)
• 1770 Great Bengal Famine $⟹$ low LR $⟹$ inc LR via ijardari system

Permanent Settlement System 1793

Land became a commodity after this, since concept of legal owner of land came.

• landowner made owner of land
  • political reasons (get their support)
    • created loyal zamindar class
  • economic reasons
  • ideological (Cornwallis background)
• ryot oppressed, became tenants at will
• assessment done to decide quantum of tax (field survey)
  • security of income for gov
• rise of jotedars who purchased zamindar land in auction to keep land within extended family
• Cornwallis 8693 took away police powers of zamindar
  • thus, zamindar = agrarian capitalist now
  • But Wellesley Regulation VII 1799 restored police powers
    • eg imprisonment, property seizure
• many peasant revolts post 1793

Rent Act 1859

• occupancy rights to peasants who cultivated land > 12 years
• not implemented properly
  • zamindar removed ryot before 12 years
  • indigo revolt, Pabna Agrarian League 1873

Bengal Tenany Act 1885

• Ryot given occupancy if cultivated diff lands in same village > 12 yr
• implemented properly ✅

Ryotwari System

• by Thomas Munroe
• implemented in SCAM-B
  • Sindh
  • Coorg
  • Assam
  • Madras
  • Bombay

Reasons

• Munroe orientalist
• big zamindar unavailable in Madras
• more income if no middleman
• loyalty of masses
• power of non state actors decrease
  • poligars, deshmukh
• land assessment not permanent
  • tax could be inc as per state requirement

Execution

• land assessed to determine quantum of tax
• Ryot cultivated land, gave revenue directly to govt. No intermediaries

Impact

• improper field survmey $⟹$ high LR $⟹$ ryot lost land cuz can’t pay LR
• Mirasidar who joined lower bureaucracy as revenue officials and were corrupt bought best lands in action. They emerged as big landowners.
  • $\therefore$ govt goal to remove intermediary failed
• Madras Torture Commission 1885: revealed this oppression and finally relief came $⟹$ proper field survey conducted

These events also explain why Madras was mostly quiet in 1857 revolt.

Mahalwari System

• respect village economy
• village community collected revenue and forwarded to government
  • illusion of non interference by brit

Impact

• many talukdars lost milkiyat to ryot
• improper field survey $⟹$ loss of land in govt auction
  • contributed to 1857 revolt