Home > Indian History > History of India > Mahalwari System
Mahalwari System
Mahalwari System was a system of land revenue intended to draw money from the newly acquired provinces by the British administration.

Share this Article:

Mahalwari System, British IndiaMahalwari System was amongst the three major land revenue systems implemented by the British in India. The British administration in order to consolidate their position, wanted to establish their control over the administrative machinery of India. Therefore the British introduced the system of land revenue, which became the chief source of their income. Land being the important source of income, the British used it as their instrument to control the entire revenue system. Hence they introduced several land revenue schemes to use land as the instrument to strengthen their economic condition in India. Three kinds of land revenue systems were introduced by the British in India- the Permanent Settlement, Mahalwari Settlement and the Ryotwari system.

Meaning of Mahalwari System
The word Mahalwari is derived from the term Mahal, referring to a neighborhood or quarter. Under this system the unit for revenue settlement is the village. The village lands belong jointly to the village community technically called the body of co-shares. The body of co-shares is jointly responsible for the payment of land revenue, though individual responsibility is always there. If any co-sharer abandons his land, it is taken over by the village community as a whole. The village community is the owner of village common land area, including the forestland, pastures etc. However, the Mahalwari system of land revenue was prevalent in the northern part of India.

Origin of Mahalwari System
The north-western provinces and Oudh came under the dominion of the British supremacy at separate times. In 1801, the Nawab of Oudh surrendered the districts of Allahabad to the East India Company. After the second Anglo Maratha war the Company acquired the territory between the Jamuna and the Ganges. These territories were known as Conquered provinces. After the last Anglo-Maratha war, Lord Hastings acquired more territories in Northern India.

Mahalwari System, British IndiaLord Wellesley, the first lieutenant governor of the ceded districts, made a land revenue system with the Zamindar and the farmers for three years. According to this land settlement, state demand was fixed higher by 20 lakhs rupees during the very first year over the Nawab of Oudh`s demand. Moreover, another burden of rupees 10 lakhs was added before the third year was out. The company in acquiring the land revenues followed a rigid policy. While the Nawab`s revenue collection varied, according to the actual production in a year, the Company`s demand was realised with rigidity. Similar land revenue settlements were also adopted in the conquered provinces.

Under the Mahalwaari System, the recommendation, the survey of land, preparation of the records of rights in land, settlement of the land revenue, demand in the Mahals, and the collection of the land revenue were done through the village headman or Lambardar. Regulation VII of 1822 gave the legal sanction to these recommendations. Under the Mahalwaari Settlement, the land revenue was fixed on the basis of 80% of the rental value, payable by the Zamindars. In cases where estates were not held by the landlords, but by the cultivators in common tenancy, the state demand was allowed to be fixed at 95% of the rental. The System broke down because of the excessive state demand and rigidity in its working and collection of land revenue.

Development of Mahalwari System
The government of William Bentinck later made a thorough review of the scheme of 1822, by which the Mahalwari system was introduced. The government of Bentinck came to the conclusion that the Regulation of 1822 had caused a widespread misery. The Government of Bentinck after a prolonged consultation passed the regulation of 1833. This regulation had somehow made the terms and conditions of the Mahalwari system flexible. It provided for the simplification of the procedure for preparing estimates of produce and rents. This Regulation also introduced the fixation of the average rents for different classes of soil. This new scheme worked under the supervision of Merttins Bird. Under this new scheme of Mahalwari settlement land in a tract was surveyed, showing field boundaries and the cultivated as well as the uncultivated land. Then the assessment for the whole tract was fixed followed by the setting down of the demand of each village. According to the new schemes, the Mahal powers were given the right of internal adjustments. The State demand was fixed at 66% of the rental value and the Settlement was made for the next 30 years.

Decline of Mahalwari System
The Mahalwari system of land revenue that worked under the scheme of 1833 was completed under the administration of James Thompson. Even the 66 % rental demand formula proved to be very harsh. Consequently Lord Dalhousie issued the fresh directions to the settlement Officers. Under the revised Saharanpur Rules of 1855 the State revenue demand was limited to the 50% of the rental value. But the Settlement Officers evaded the new rules unfortunately. As a result the system proved heavily miserable to the agricultural classes. This created widespread discontent and finally the Mahalwari System failed to create any extensive effect.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.