What is the Mahalwari system?
In 1822, the arrival of Holt Mackenzie’s Mahalwari system is a land revenue settlement. It let cultivators in a cluster of villages or just one, own and manage the land collectively. How much land each household was entitled to depend on their role in the overall cultivation of the mahal(group of villages).
Individual farmers often fell prey to corrupt and exploitative intermediaries who made payment of taxes a difficult and confusing process. To alleviate this burden, the responsibility for tax payment was shared throughout the community. This approach enabled revenue collection to be more efficient and fair, while also lessening the likelihood of corruption.
How was the Mahalwari System different from the Permanent Settlement?
India’s land revenue system had undergone a lot of changes over time, mainly there were two prominent systems that were implemented during the British colonial rule the Mahalwari system and Permanent Settlement.