Mahalwari System 1822: Background, Objectives, Features

The Mahalwari System was introduced by Holt Mackenzie in 1822. This settlement was made with the entire community or mahal of the village. This settlement was implemented in the Ganges-Yamuna Doab, North-Western Frontier Province, and some parts of Central India. In the Mahalwari System, several villages would form a mahal, and one or more individuals would be given the responsibility of collecting revenue for the mahal.

What is Mahalwari System?

Mahalwari System was a modified form of the Permanent Settlement. In the settlement, the entire village’s land was jointly owned by the village community. The mahal was either a single village or several villages, and the village headman was in charge of collecting and setting the land revenue for that specific mahal.

A mahal is a village or a group of villages, and the village headman of that particular mahal was responsible for the collection and assessment of land revenue.

Background of Mahalwari System

North and north-western India was the heartland of the Mughals. From 1801 to 1806, it had come under British control. The British introduced the Mahalwari Settlement in this North-Western frontier. However, there was a significant background to this.

Across the vast agricultural-based social structure of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab and Central India, there was an influential social group called ‘Taluqdars’. They were closely involved with the state for the purpose of revenue collection in a region.

On the other hand, there was a large group of “original zamindars.” They had ownership rights over cultivated land as well as residential land. These zamindars were associated with small peasant proprietors of the village and large-area proprietors of multiple villages.

Initially, the British collected revenue from the Taluqdars, just like the Mughals. This system of revenue collection continued for a long time. However, for newly conquered areas of the British, productivity was artificially calculated. As a result, excessive revenue was fixed. Revenue collection based on these miscalculations created an implicitly hostile attitude of the government towards the Taluqdars.

If a Taluqdar failed to pay the fixed revenue properly, their taluq or land would be confiscated and sold. Eric Stokes said, “Many of the highly influential and wealthy Taluqdar class of North India had either completely lost their Taluqdari or it had become very small by 1820.”

Gradually, the extent of Taluqdar’s eviction increased so much that they began to rebel against the East India Company. By the mid-nineteenth century, the incidence of land confiscation, sales, and rebellion had increased significantly.

In 1819, Holt Mackenzie described this massive change as a “Melancholy Revolution.” Again, R.M. Bird called these Taluqdars a “Host of Unproductives.”

Therefore, instead of Taluqdars, the ‘original zamindars’ and village communities came into the British preference list. However, some Taluqdars still existed at that time.

So, the British government began to settle with the “village community.” Where there was no “village community,”  they would settle with the Taluqdars. This is how the Mahalwari settlement was implemented.

You can also read about: The Origin of Ryotwari System 1820: Objectives, Features

Objectives of Mahalwari System

The main objective of the Mahalwari System was to increase the amount of future revenue for the government and also aimed to eliminate the intermediary class. As a result, the level of exploitation on the farmers was somewhat reduced, while ensuring that the entire amount of revenue collected from the produced crops would go to the government.

Features of Mahalwari System

• Revenue was determined for each mahal or village by surveying the land.
• The villagers had to collectively pay the revenue imposed on the village.
• The rate of land revenue was determined according to the productivity rate of the land.
• Villagers would submit their specified revenue to the government through the village head.
• Some recommendations regarding this system by Holt Mackenzie were included in the ‘Regulation VII of 1822 AD’. This law stated that cultivated lands should be thoroughly surveyed one after another to determine the revenue.
• It was said that revenue collection arrangements should be made with the village community or with a Taluqdar.
• The basis of this new settlement was land survey. This survey work was complex. It was not possible to complete this complex work through the existing administrative system. So, in the absence of a proper survey, excessive revenue was often imposed.
• R.M. Bird again gave some revised proposals regarding revenue collection in ‘Regulation XI of 1833’. He suggested that the entire mahal, which was considered as the unit of revenue, should be surveyed in detail for the purpose of determining the revenue. James Thomson completed this revenue-related plan of R.M Bird.
• R.M. Bird’s survey also stated that the survey would be based on the actual value of the potential production of the land.
• All of the determined revenue would be divided among the co-sharers.
• The British government would receive 2/3 of the income from the land.
• This settlement would be made for 20 to 30 years. There were many mistakes in the root of this settlement, so the revenue was levied in excess.

You can also read about: Mansabdari System: Akbar’s Strategic Reform in Mughal India

Conclusion

According to a rough estimate, in 1928–29 AD, 29 percent of the cultivable land in India was under the Mahalwari System. However, due to this settlement, farmers gradually lost ownership of the land. The rate of revenue was so high that it disrupted the livelihood of farming families and increased their misery.

Dr. Rameshchandra Dutt said, ‘In this system, wealth accumulation or economic development of people was not possible’. After considering all aspects, it can be said that none of the three settlements could improve the condition of the farmers. However, each settlement was implemented somewhat successfully.

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