- The rent was paid directly by thepeasants to the government.
- The government gave the Pattas to the Ryots.
- 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 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None of the above
- Answer: c
Statement 1 is correct: Ryotwari system, one of the three principal methods of revenue collection in British India. It was prevalent in most of southern India, being the standard system of the Madras Presidency. The system was devised by Capt. Alexander Read and Sir Thomas Munro at the end of the 18th century and introduced by the latter when he was governor (1820–27) of Madras (now Chennai). The principle was the direct collection of the land revenue from each individual cultivator by government agents.
Statement 2 is correct: The registered agreements called Pattas were given to the Ryots to recognize their ownership rights.
Statement 3 is correct: For the purpose all holdings were measured and assessed according to crop potential and actual cultivation. The advantages of this system were the elimination of middlemen, who often oppressed villagers, and an assessment of the tax on land actually cultivated and not merely occupied. This system also gave much power to subordinate revenue officials, whose activities were inadequately supervised.
