Which land revenue system allowed individual peasants to pay directly to the colonial state?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Ryotwari System.
Explanation:
☛ Under the Ryotwari System, the revenue was settled directly between the colonial state and the individual cultivators, known as ryots.
☛ This system eliminated intermediaries like Zamindars, giving the peasants ownership rights over the land subject to the payment of revenue.
☛ The Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro and Captain Alexander Read around 1820.
☛ It was predominantly implemented in the Madras Presidency, Bombay Presidency, parts of Assam, and Coorg.
☛ In this system, the revenue rates were not fixed permanently; rather, lands were resurveyed periodically (usually every 20 or 30 years) to revise the revenue demand.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Permanent Settlement (Zamindari System): Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, where zamindars were recognized as landowners and collected revenue from peasants.
☛ Mahalwari System: Introduced by Holt Mackenzie in 1822 (later reformed under William Bentinck), where the unit of revenue assessment was the village or estate (Mahal), and the village headman collected the revenue.
☛ In the Ryotwari area, the revenue rate was initially set exceptionally high, sometimes amounting to 50% to 60% of the gross produce.
☛ Failure to pay land revenue directly resulted in the confiscation and eviction of the ryot from the land.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ In which area was the Ryotwari System first introduced experimentally? → Baramahal district of Tamil Nadu (by Captain Read in 1792)
☛ Who officially implemented the Ryotwari System across the Madras Presidency? → Sir Thomas Munro (Governor of Madras in 1820)
☛ Under the Permanent Settlement, what fraction of revenue did the Zamindars keep? → 1/11th of the total collection
☛ Which revenue system covered the largest area of British India? → Ryotwari System (approximately 51% of British territory)
☛ Who was known as the architect of the Mahalwari System? → Holt Mackenzie