SSC
The Ryotwari system of land revenue, introduced in parts of the Madras Presidency in the 1790s and later developed further, was first devised by:
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Answer: Option D — Alexander Read (with Thomas Munro)
Detailed Solution
The Ryotwari system was first devised by Captain Alexander Read, who introduced it in the Baramahal region (in present-day Tamil Nadu) in the 1790s, with the help of Thomas Munro.
About the Ryotwari system:
- Under this system, the land revenue was settled directly with the ryots (peasant cultivators), not with zamindars.
- The ryot was recognised as the owner of the land, as long as he paid the revenue.
- The land was surveyed, and the revenue was fixed on each field according to its quality and the expected produce.
- The settlement was temporary, and was revised periodically, usually every 20 to 30 years.
NCERT on the Ryotwari system:
- NCERT notes that in the British territories in the south, there was a move away from the idea of zamindars.
- The new system that was devised came to be known as the ryotwari (or ryotwar).
- It was tried on a small scale by Captain Alexander Read in some of the areas that were taken over by the Company after the wars with Tipu Sultan.
- Subsequently developed by Thomas Munro, this system was gradually extended all over south India.
- Read and Munro felt that in the south there were no traditional zamindars; the settlement, they argued, had to be made directly with the cultivators (ryots), who had tilled the land for generations.
- Their fields had to be carefully and separately surveyed before the revenue assessment was made.
- Munro thought that the British should act as paternal father figures protecting the ryots under their charge.
Problems:
- The revenue demand was often very high, and peasants fell into debt.
- Many peasants fled from their villages, and some lost their lands to moneylenders.
Where it was introduced:
- In large parts of the Madras and Bombay Presidencies, and in Assam and some other areas.
- Thomas Munro became Governor of Madras (1820-1827).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Lord Cornwallis and John Shore were connected with the zamindari system in Bengal.
- ✗Holt Mackenzie was a different official.
Quick tip
Remember: Ryotwari = first devised by Alexander Read (Baramahal, 1790s), developed by Thomas Munro (Governor of Madras 1820-27); settlement directly with the ryots (NCERT).
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British Acts & Policies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of British Acts & Policies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the constitutional and administrative acts passed during British rule, from the Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt's India Act of 1784 to the Charter Acts, the Indian Councils Acts, the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Indian Independence Act of 1947, along with British economic, land revenue and education policies. Exam questions usually ask what a particular act introduced: the Indian Councils Act 1909 introduced separate electorates for Muslims, the Government of India Act 1919 brought dyarchy to the provinces, and the 1935 Act provided for a federation and provincial autonomy. Land revenue systems (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari and Mahalwari) and education milestones such as Wood's Despatch (1854) are also tested. Practise the British acts and policies questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.