TOPIC: LAND REVENUE POLICY

SUBMITTED BY :ASWATHI R PILLAI

REG NO :13303005

LAND REVENUE POLICY

After establishing political supremacy in Bengal and other parts of India the East India Company need much money to meet their several expenses.

For this the British overthrew the traditional land revenue system and made several experiments in this field.

They had some specific aim behind this:They wanted to collect as much revenue as possible from

IndiaThey wanted to increases the production of agricultural

commodities that they wanted to export to EnglandThe British wished to create a new ‘class’ in India who

would with them in all days

Permanent settlementLord Cornwallis the viceroy of British India

introduced a new revenue system in the states of Bengal ,Bihar and Orissa.

The settlement was made with zamindars, who collected revenue from the peasants and handed over a fixed amount to British.

Zamindars extracted exorbitant revenue from the peasants

and became wealthy.

The cultivators were reduced to the status of mere tenants and deprived of their longstanding rights to the soil.

The company also received their share without any failureBut the condition of the peasants, who where unable to bear the

tax burden, was pathetic.

Effects

The permanent settlement has given permanent proprietary rights to a class of tax collectors.

They where a class who had no rights to ownershipThe only benefit of the settlement was that the company

got stable revenue.

Ryotwari systemRyotwari system prevailed in the southern provinces of

British India.Under this system company collected revenue directly

from farmersBut they did not provide any proprietary rights on the

cultivating land to the peasants.The tax was also high.

EffectsRyotwari system upon rural economy was harmful.The ryotwari settlement did not bring into existence

system of peasants ownerships.The ryot had to pay revenue even when his produce was

partially or wholly destroyed by floods ,droughts etc.

Mahalwari systemMahalwari system of the Northern and

Central Provinces was another system of revenue collection.

According to this system, the company collected taxes remitted by village heads or heads of joint families and not from the individual farmers.

These land revenue systems were not favourable to the farmers.

If the crops were destroyed or the harvests declined due to adverse climatic conditions, the peasants were not given any reduction in their revenue demand.

EffectsThe areas under the control of the big talukdars were reduced.The British officers made direct settlements with the village

zamindars as far as possible.Mahalwari system ruined the village zamindars.

The indebted farmers were ill-treated by the zamindars and the money lenders.

The intensity of the exploitation faced by the peasants increased day by day and finally led to the clashes between landlords and peasants.

Thank you