Describe the mahalwari settlement
Answers
The Mahalwari (Hindi: महलवारी) was a revenue collection system that was introduced by Holt Mackenzie in British India.It was one of the three major land tenure systems implemented by the British in India. The other two systems were the Permanent Settlement of Bengal and the Ryotwari system. During the 1800s, the British tried to establish their control over the administrative machinery of India. The System of Land Revenue acted as a chief source of income of the British. Land was one of the most important source of income for the British. Thus, they used land to control the entire Revenue system, strengthening their economic condition in India.
The word Mahalwari (महलवारी) is derived from the Hindi word Mahal (महल), which means house, district, neighbourhood or quarter.[1] This system consisted of landlords orZamindars claiming to represent entire villages or even groups of villages. Along with the village communities, the landlords were jointly responsible for the payment of the revenues. But, individual responsibility was always there. The land included under this system consisted of all land of the villages, even the forestland, pastures etc.
This system was prevalent in the parts of Uttar Pradesh, the North Western province, parts of Central India and Punjab[2]
Explanation:
- the charge of collecting the revenue and paying it to the company was given to the village headman rather than the zamindar this system came to be known as the mahalwari settlement