Ryotwari System: Impact on Farmers and Revenue

Ryotwari System: British Land Revenue Shift (1820)

The Ryotwari System was one of the principal land revenue systems introduced by Britishers in the early 19th century to replace the Permanent Settlement System. It was developed by Captain Alexander Read and Sir Thomas Munro and was introduced in 1820 in Tamil Nadu when Thomas Munro was the Governor of Madras (1819-1826). It is also known as the Munro System.

Working Of Ryotwari System: Direct Cultivator-Government Settlement

• Under the Ryotwari System a direct settlement was made between the government and the individual cultivator called Ryot for payment of land revenue.
• Unlike the Permanent Settlement system, the Peasants were established as the land owners. They had full rights regarding the sale, transfer, and mortgage of land. 
• This system was implemented in Madras, Bombay, Assam, and Coorg provinces. It roughly covered 51% of the British territory.
• The revenue was fixed based on the quality of the soil and the nature of the crop for a period not exceeding more than 30 years.
• The peasant can not be evicted from the land so long as he pays his share of revenue to the government.

Advantages The Ryotwari System: Revenue Growth and Peasant Security

• Increased Revenue: Due to the absence of any intermediary under the Ryotwari System, the revenue collection of the state increased.
• Security of tenure: The Peasants being owners enjoyed the security of being evicted from their land.

Disadvantages The Ryotwari System: Faulty Assessment, High Taxes, Exploitation

• Faulty Assessment: The revenue was not based on the actual production on the land but based on the soil’s potential.
• High tax rate: The government charges high taxes up to 50%-55% of the produce. This left peasants with a meager amount for survival.
• Peasant’s Exploitation: The cultivators borrowed from local moneylenders or Mahajans to pay the state share in case of low yield. The moneylenders exploited peasants and evicted them from land in case of default in repayment.

Conclusion

The Ryotwari system of revenue collection had both positive and negative consequences. Though this system eliminated the middleman, it also increased the burden of taxation upon peasants. The demand for revenue in cash under this system forced cultivators to switch to cash crops, further pushing the peasants toward the vicious circle of poverty.

Previous Year Question

Q1. Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of the Ryotwari Settlement in India during British Rule? [2017]

1. Lord Cornwallis
2. Alexander Read
3. Thomas Munro

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1,2 and 3

Q2. With reference to Ryotwari Settlement, consider the following statements: [2012]

1. The rent was paid directly by the peasants to the Government.
2. The government gave pattas to the Ryots.
3. The lands were surveyed and assessed before being taxed.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 1,2 and 3 only
4. None

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