IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century - The New Land Revenue Settlements

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From Mid 18th to Mid 19th Century

The New Land Revenue Settlements

Structure

15.0 Objectives
15. I Introduction
15.2 First Experiments in Land Revenue Management
15.3 The Permanent Settlement in Bengal
15.3.1 A Settlement with Zamindars
15.3.2 The Position of the Cultivators
15.3.3 Effects of the Permanent Settlement
15.4 Disillusionment with Permanent Settlement
15.5 The Emergence of Alternative Systems
15.5.1 Land Assessment Under Ryotwari
15.5.2 The Adoption of Ryotwari in Madras
15.5.3 Ryotwari Theory and Practice
15.5.4 Effects of the Ryotwari System in Madras
15.5.5 The Ryotwari Settlement in Bombay
15.5,6 Effects of the Ryotwari System in Madras and Bombay
15.6 The Other Alternative Settlement: The Mahalwari System
15.63 Mahalwari Theory and Practice
15.6.2 Effects of the Mahalwari Settlement
15.7 Let Us Sum Up
15.8 Andwers To Check.Your Progress Exercises

15.0 OBJECTIVES

In this Unit we shall study the land revenue settlements made by the British in
different parts of India up to 1857. After studying this Unit you will be able to
undetstanki:

• the' meaning of the term 'revenue settlement',
• the aknis of the British in their various 'settlements',
• the Important features of the three main types of settlement. and
• the important effects of each settlement on the rural economy and on the relatilon of different classes in the country side.

15.1 INTRODUCTION

Agriculture has been the most important economic activity of the Indian people for
many centuries. Naturally, therefore, kings and rulers have always drawn a large
part of their taxes from agriculture. The British government, as it established itself
in variou,~ parts of India also imposed very heavy taxes on agriculture. In order to
assess and collect these taxes, it instituted various land revenue settlements.
Let us try and understand what this means. Imagine that the British East India
Company has just defeated some Indian ruler, and annexed his territories. Now
they wanlt to collect taxes from these lands. You may think that this could be done
by lootiqg and plundering-and this was in fact often the first thing that was done
in newly conquered territory. But it is not possible to continue like this: F~rst of
all, because loot is usually kept by the looter, and does not find its way into the 

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