Ryotwari System, Features, Drawbacks, Impacts, UPSC Notes

The Ryotwari System was one of the three principal methods of land revenue system in British India during the nineteenth century. Unlike the Zamindari and Permanent Settlement systems, which used intermediaries such as zamindars, the Ryotwari System established a direct relationship between the British government and the cultivators (ryots). 

The Ryotwari system was primarily implemented in the Madras and Bombay Presidency and had far-reaching consequences for land revenue collection, agricultural practices, and the socioeconomic fabric of Indian society.

Ryotwari System Background

The British East India Company introduced the Ryotwari System in the early 19th century as an alternative to the Permanent Settlement, which had been criticised for its inefficiencies and the exploitation of peasants by zamindars. The system's name comes from the word ryot, an Anglicisation by the British in India of the Arabic word raʿiyyah, which means a peasant or cultivator. 

• Pioneer of Ryotwari System: Thomas Munro and Captain Alexander Read, who were sent in 1792 to administer the newly acquired Baramahal region of the Madras Presidency, devised a system of collecting directly from the villages and determining the amount that each village was required to pay. 
  • When Munro became governor of the Madras Presidency in 1820, he established the Ryotwari System.
• Rationale Behind the Ryotwari System: The Company's main reason for adopting this system was that it generated more revenue than any other system because there were no intermediaries, and whatever was extracted from the cultivator went directly to the government.
• Spread: Munro reduced the tax to one-third of the gross produce and extended the system across the Madras Presidency, except where the Permanent Settlement existed.
  • It was later introduced in the Bombay Presidency (1818) and regions like Berar, East Bengal, Assam, and Coorg.
• Improvement of Ryotwari System: In 1836, Wingate and Goldsmith improved the Ryotwari system. By 1865, this modified assessment had covered the majority of the Deccan. 
  • Each field was to be evaluated based on its soil and location. 
  • Land revenue was reduced slightly, and land that had become devalued gained some saleable value.

Ryotwari System Features

The Ryotwari System was formulated when Utilitarian principles, including David Ricardo's theory of rent, began to shape British policy decisions in India. The ryotwari system included the following features:

• Ownership Rights: Under the Ryotwari System, land ownership and occupancy rights were granted directly to the ryots (cultivators), with no restrictions on the amount of land they could hold. They had the freedom to sublet, transfer, or sell their land as they wished.
• Direct Taxation: The ryots were responsible for paying taxes directly to the British East India Company. The tax rate ranged from 45% to 55% of the estimated land production.
• Variable Revenue: The revenue demand was not fixed and could be adjusted according to the actual agricultural output, allowing for higher taxes during periods of increased production.
• Non-Permanent Settlement: Unlike the Permanent Settlement, the Ryotwari System was not fixed; it was subject to periodic revision, allowing the government to reassess and modify the revenue demands over time.
• Cultivation Requirements: While ryots were theoretically free to choose which land to cultivate, in practice, they were often compelled to farm even if they were unwilling or unable to do so.
• Barren Land Cultivation: The Ryotwari system permitted the cultivation of government-controlled barren land, with the stipulation that any revenue generated would be shared with the government.
• Land Confiscation: If the ryots failed to pay the required revenue, the authorities could confiscate their land.

Ryotwari System Drawbacks

The Ryotwari System, despite its intentions to simplify land revenue collection, faced several significant challenges. These drawbacks undermined the system's effectiveness and harmed the cultivators.

• High Revenue Demands: The Ryotwari system often imposed high revenue demands, sometimes up to 50-60% of the produce, which placed a heavy financial burden on the ryots.
• Exploitation by Moneylenders: Due to the high taxes, many ryots had to borrow from moneylenders, leading to a cycle of debt and exploitation. Failure to pay taxes could result in eviction.
• Land Insecurity: While ryots were recognised as landowners, their ownership was conditional on their ability to pay taxes. Failure to pay could result in the loss of their land, leading to widespread landlessness and insecurity among cultivators.
• Corruption and Bribery: The tax collection process was rigid and sometimes involved coercion and physical abuse to extract payments. This led to rampant corruption, as officials could be bribed during the land assessment process.
• Displacement of Cultivators: Non-cultivating landlords could manipulate the system to register themselves as landowners, reducing the actual cultivators to the status of tenants, servants, or even bonded labourers.
• Decreased Land Value: The high taxes and harsh collection methods discouraged people from purchasing land, leading to a decline in land value.

Ryotwari System Impacts

The Ryotwari System had profound and lasting effects on Indian society (agriculture), altering land ownership patterns and impacting the socio-economic dynamics of rural areas.

• Agricultural Changes: The ryotwari system promoted the cultivation of cash crops over subsistence crops, affecting food security and causing economic changes in rural areas.
• Social Impact: By recognising ryots as landowners, the ryotwari system sought to empower individual cultivators. However, the high revenue requirements and reliance on moneylenders frequently outweighed these advantages.
• Economic Consequences: The direct relationship between the government and cultivators increased revenue collection for the British, but it also caused widespread peasant distress and rural debt.
• Impact on Revenue: The absence of any intermediary under the Ryotwari System increased the state's revenue collection.

Ryotwari System UPSC PYQs

Question 1: Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during British rule? (UPSC Prelims 2017)

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

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (d)

Question 2: With reference to Ryotwari Settlement, consider the following statements: (UPSC Prelims 2012)

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

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) None of the above

Ans: (c)

Ryotwari System FAQs

Q1. Who started the Ryotwari system first?

Ans. Captain Alexander Read and Thomas Munro developed the Ryotwari System, which Sir Thomas Munro implemented in 1820 in the Madras Presidency.

Q2. What is the difference between Ryotwari and Mahalwari?

Ans.In the Ryotwari System, government collected land revenue directly from individual cultivators. In contrast, in the Mahalwari System, village headman collected revenue from the entire village as a single unit.

Q3. What was the Ryotwari system?

Ans. The Ryotwari System was a land revenue system where the government collected taxes directly from the cultivators, recognising them as landowners with the right to sell or mortgage their land.

Q4. Who was the Governor of the Ryotwari system?

Ans. Lord Hastings (1813-1823) was the Governor-General when the Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro in the Madras Presidency in 1820.

Q5. What is Ryotwari also known as?

Ans. The Ryotwari system is also known as the "Munro System" or Ryotwari settlement, named after Sir Thomas Munro, who pioneered it.