The Zamindari System

The Zamindari system was introduced for the first time by Lord Cornwallis in the year 1793 through the Permanent Settlement which fixed the land rights for the members who were in perpetuity without any provisions for fixed rent or for any right of occupancy for the actual cultivators.

In the zamindari system, the land revenue came to be collected by the farmers by the intermediaries who were known as the zamindars. The total share of the government in case of the revenue which was collected by zamindars was 10/11th and the remainder of the same goes to the zamindars. The Zamindari system came to be most prevalent in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

The Permanent Settlement Agreement

The Permanent Land revenue settlement of the zamindars was recognized to be the permanent owners of land and was given an instruction to pay about 89 percent of the annual revenue to the state and also permitted for enjoying 11 percent of revenue as part of their share. The Zamindars also had the upper hand to be independent in case of internal affairs in case of their respective domains.

Features of the Zamindari system

• Zamindars were recognized as the hereditary owner of the land and received the right of inheritance.
• Landlords can sell or transfer the land as per their wishes.
• The landlord’s property remains as long as it pays a certain income to the government on the specified day. If they don’t pay, their rights will be extinguished, and the land will be auctioned.
• The amount to be paid to the landlords was a fixed amount. It was decided that it would not increase in the future (forever).
• The fixed amount was 10/11 of revenue to the Britishers and 1/11 of revenue to Zamindar. This tax rate was much higher than in England.
• The zamindar also had to give the tenant a patent describing the land given to him and the rent that the zamindar had to pay.
• The responsibility of looking after the peasants fell on the shoulders of the Indian landlords.

Because of the permanent nature of the arrangement, everyone had a sense of security. The company knew how much profit it was making. The owner was also assured of the amount. After all, the farmers also relied on their property instead of a hoof and knew how much rent they would pay.

Issues with the Zamindari System

1. For the Cultivators: In the villages, cultivators had found the system to be exploitative as well as repressive as the rent which they paid to the zamindars was very high while their rights on the land were quite less. The cultivators had to take loans for paying the rent, or on failing to pay the rent, they were evicted from their plots of land.
2. For the Zamindars: The Zamindars found it difficult to pay as the revenue was set so high and on non-payment, they would lose their zamindari. The zamindars were hence not very keen on improving the land.
3. For the Company: From the first decade of the 19th century, cultivation has slowly increased and the prices have also risen in the market. However, this was no gain for the company as it couldn’t increase the revenue demands which had been settled permanently.

Land revenue is one of the most important sources of income for the Britishers in India. There existed three types of land revenue policies during the British rule period in India. There existed three major types of land tenure systems which were present in India, namely:

1. The Zamindari System
2. The Mahalwari System
3. The Ryotwari System