UPSC History -Mahal wari System

UPSC History -Mahal wari System

The Mahal Wari System was first created in 1822 by Holt Mackenzie. Later, the system underwent reforms during the rule of William Bentick (1833). This was the main method of collecting land revenue in North-West India. It was implemented in the Central Province of British India, the North-West Frontier, Agra, Punjab, the Gangetic Valley, and other regions.

Under this method, the land was split into Mahals. A village or more make up each Mahal. The entire hamlet (Mahal) was regarded as a single unit for tax purposes. The village headman or village committee was in charge of collecting taxes. Ownership rights were granted to the peasants. Numerous components from the Ryotwari and Zamindari systems were merged into the Mahal wari system.