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Which of the following statements about Ryotwari settlement is/are correct? 1. It recognized the cultivators as the owner of land. 2. It was a temporary settlement. 3. It was introduced later than the permanent settlement. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Explanation
The Ryotwari settlement, introduced by Thomas Munro and Alexander Reed in 1820, recognized the cultivators (ryots) as the owners of the land, establishing a direct relationship between the state and the peasant without intermediaries [c1][t1]. Unlike the Permanent Settlement of 1793, which fixed revenue in perpetuity, the Ryotwari system was a temporary settlement where revenue rates were subject to periodic revision, typically every 20 to 30 years, based on soil quality and crop yield [c4][t8]. Chronologically, the Ryotwari system was introduced later than the Permanent Settlement, which was first implemented in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in 1793 [c2][c5]. While the Permanent Settlement empowered zamindars as hereditary owners, the Ryotwari system aimed to eliminate such middlemen by granting ownership rights directly to the tillers [t1][t5]. Therefore, all three statements regarding ownership, its temporary nature, and its later introduction are correct.
Sources
- [1] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > Ryotwari Settlement: > p. 191
- [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 1. Abolition of Intermediaries > p. 25
- [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryotwari
- [4] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > 17.2 Land Tenures: Permanent Settlement and Ryotwari Settlement > p. 266
- [5] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 2. Institutional Factors > p. 20
- [6] https://www.lse.ac.uk/Economic-History/Assets/Documents/WorkingPapers/Economic-History/2023/WP355.pdf