HISTORY OF LAND REVENUE CODES

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From the Year 1540 A.D

By O P Monga

Posted on 10 July 2002
 

From time immemorial mankind had distinct association with

LAND.Infact primitive lifestyle was basically landbased.Land is

one of the major 'five elements of nature.Almost all-Cultures,Civilisations and Empire were landoriented. Even mighty

Aryans after a long journey in search of warmth had to struggle

hard to select and settle on their choice of alluvial land in

planes of Uttar Pradesh in foothills of Himalayas.Land wil

continue to exert prime influence on mankind till life exists on

earth.

It is a basic source of sustenance of life for all creatures on

earth.Let us gratefully respect it and resolve ourselves to

enhance its sanctity and fertility.

Even in contemporary times land exerts immense influence in our

country where 70% of the population which is settled in country

side depends on agriculture. Therefore the system of land revenue

and land tenure is significant. In a feudal country like India,

during 'the pre-British days,the political, economic and social

aspects could be judged by the land and revenue systems.

The administration of Empire was totally dependent on revenue

collection and revenye system.The-administration of t he Empire

with its corresponding prosperity was adversly dependent. on the

proceeds extracted from the peasantry in the form of revenue

collection.This necessiates a well defined revenue code. In peace

time old kingdoms kept scales of revenue at low level i.e. usually

1/6 th of the gross produce. But the revenue was raised freely

during invasion or war or other critical situation. Although

cultivators had proprietary rights over the land, the kind always

regarded himself as the sole owner of the land and the cultivators

were cultivating it on his behalf. Therefore the land revenue was

an unquestionable royal prerogative.

On the introduction of currency system, attempts were made to

recover equivalent money value of crop-share. This system was

first initiated by Sher Shah (1540-1545 A.D).The first recorded

pioneer survey of lands began in 1571 A.D. by Todarmal and

completed in Akar's regime by 2582 A.D. The then yard-rod was 33

inches long and was known as Ilahi Gaz. Such 60 square -liahi Gaz

contributed one Bigha. (Refer Land System of British India, Vol.I;

page 274 by B.H. Beden Fowell, London 1892).

In Deccan with some modifications the above system was followed by

Malik Ambar (1605 to 1626 A.D) He acknowledged ownership rights of

the farmers and attempted to give them secured tenure. But the

assessment varied with the crop and were not constant like the

Mughal Settlements.

Emperor Aurangzeb drastically chaged the revenue system and

increased the land revenue by 50% in conqured Deccan territories.

After his death,Maratha Empire tried to initate same system in the

conqured areas of Northern and Central Indian by imposing

"chowth'.

During Shivalile period the system of 'JAHAGARDARI' was abolished-

and land rvenue was collected directly from the

In 1637 A.D. Shah Jahan in Deccan fixed lumpsum Village

assessment. When this method failed he allowed farm-lease method;

where by "KHOTS" or revenu farmers grew into proprietors. In

subsequent Maratha period in 1784-8S A.D.The above Eiyr-.tc-ITI was

abolished and land revenue was based on classificationof soils.

Thereafter maratha Revenue System was know as Miras Tenure and

Upri Tenure (refer the Bombay Survey and Settlement Manual, 1934

Edn; Vol.1; pade 6)>The assessment of land revenue was annual.

This system prevailed upto Nana Phadnavis -period.But under Bajirao

Peshwa due to war expenses revenue sustem wad drastically changed

for the worst and 'Farming System' was incorporated.Under the

Farming System in open auction the highest bidder used to get the

authority to collect revenue at his will and methods. It was

atrocious and unberable for the farmers. To some extent this

systems was even followed after British conqured Peshwa Territory.

It resulted in many revolts of the peasants.

Mr.Pringle (1827) in Pune district first surveyed land by chain

and cross staff with the introduction of English Acre in the

Western region. When Mr. Pringle's Surevy Tenure proved to be a

failure due to adoption of the principles of average gross produce

minus expenses of cultivation a committee of three persons was

appointed in 1547.Their report known as "JOINT REPORT of

1847' laid down the basic principles of land revenue system. The

unit of assessment was field, classification of soil and giving

survey number for fields. Thus soil was classified into various

types, depth and its natural fautis for the purpose of valuation.

The original surveys and settlements were conducted according to

the principles laid down in the joint Report of 2547.The first

Revision Settlement of Indsput Taluka (Pune District) became due

in 1865.The original Revisional survey were conclued and the

survey department was abolished in 1901. Further Land Records

department was created to maintain the survey records upto date.

There is therefore no large scale survey now exceept the pot Hiisa

servey after the inroduction of Record of Rights in 1913.

The following is the History of Land Reven Legislations:

1. Survey and Settlement Act,1865.

2. Survey and Settlement (Amending) aCT, 1868.

3. The Bombay Land Revenue Code (1879).

4. The Bombay Land Revenue (Amended) 1013.

5. Bombay Land Revenue (Amended) 1939.

As the Legislature was not in session, the Bombay Land Revenue

Code, (Extension to Saurashtra Area) Ordinance, 1959 (II of 1959)

wag promulgated to extend the Bombay Land Revenue Code 1879, the

the Saurashtra area of the Bombay state. There was also another

enactment on the subject namely the Bombay Revenue Tribunal Act

1957, which was applicable to the whole state.

To unify and consolidate different acts on the subject of 'Land

and Land Revenue' into single enactment for application to whole

state culminated into our present 'THE MAHARASHTRA LAND REVENUE

CODE. 1966'. In the process of unification it transpired that the

Land Revenue laws in force in the state excluding the city of

Bombay had a good deal in common and their basic principles were

practically the same.

The above narrated brief history of about last 500 years doesno4,

necessarily imply that there was no Land Revenue Code in ancient

India. The ruins of burried cities found in Mohan-je-daro. and

Harappa reveals the knowledge of Town planning prevailing in those

days. The Land and Construction are integral components of

ARCHITECTURE.IN ancient India 1500 years prior to Todarmal our

country was rich in Buddhist Architecture. Mighty Emperors like

Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka were great builder. Threfore it is

unrealistic to consture that first recorded survey of land was

executed by Todarmal in 1540-1545 A.D The art of measuring land

and establishing qualities of soil and its productivity was known

in ancient Indian beyond doubt. My above assertions are based an

laws of simple logic and common sense.Indian Histroy written by

Britisheres is intentionally distorted and malafied. The value of

rich heritage and culture of India was purposely underestimated by

them,The time will soon come when we will have to exert

ourselves to rectify and revise our history to understand our

ancient civilization better in a proper perspective.