1. With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements:

  1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities.
  2. Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (b) 2 only

Permanent Settlement by Lord Cornwallis
  • Lord Cornwallis implemented the Permanent Settlement of Land Revenue in Bengal, Bihar and other parts of India.
  • Under this system, Zamindars, or landlords, became the landowners, while farmers were reduced to tenants. The Zamindars retained the right to evict the farmers at any time.
    • The Zamindars had to pay the British 89% of their land revenue, leaving the remainder for him. Under this system, land revenue was fixed for ten years, accelerating the transfer of wealth from India to Britain.
  • These regulations remained in place until the Charter Act 1833. The other two systems prevalent in India were the Ryotwari System and the Mahalwari System.
  • Features of the Permanent Settlement:
    • Landlords or Zamindars were recognised as the owners of the land. They were given hereditary rights of succession of the lands under them.
    • The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished.
    • The Zamindars’ proprietorship would stay as long as he paid the fixed revenue at the said date to the government. If they failed to pay, their rights would cease to exist and the land would be auctioned off.
    • The amount to be paid by the landlords was fixed. It was agreed that this would not increase in future (permanent).
    • The fixed amount was 10/11th portion of the revenue for the government and 1/10th was for the Zamindar. This tax rate was way higher than the prevailing rates in England.
    • The Zamindar also had to give the tenant a patta which described the area of the land given to him and the rent he had to pay the landlord.
Ryotwari Settlement :
  • The Ryotwari Settlement, introduced by Thomas Munro and Captain Alexander Read in the late 18th century, was a major land revenue system implemented in British India, primarily in the Madras Presidency (present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of neighboring states). 
  • Land was surveyed and classified based on soil quality and irrigation facilities. Revenue was then assessed based on this classification, with higher rates for more productive lands.
  • Ryots were directly responsible for paying the fixed revenue to the government. The system included provisions for revenue reductions or exemptions in case of natural calamities or crop failures.
Mahalwari System
  • The Mahalwari system was a land revenue settlement introduced by the British in India, primarily in the North-West Frontier, Punjab, Gangetic Valley, and Central Province.
  • It was a modified version of the Zamindari system, focusing on village-level revenue collection through the village headman or village committee.
  • Under this system, the entire village or “Mahal” was treated as a single unit for tax collection, with the village headman responsible for collecting the revenue and paying it to the British government.
  • The Mahalwari system was introduced by Holt Mackenzie in 1822 and it was reviewed under Lord William Bentinck in 1833.
    • It was introduced in 1819 based on a report prepared by McKenzie on Ganga Valley, central India, NWFP, and Punjab.
  • Features:
    • The whole village was taken as a unit.
    • The village headman was to collect revenue from the villagers.
    • Village headmen enjoyed the authority to take away the land of peasants if they failed to pay land revenue.
    • Demand for land revenue was two-thirds of total produce.
    • Settlement made for 30 years at a time.