What is Raiyatwari system?

Raiyatwari was a land settlement introduced by the British in regions where they directly ruled. The Administrative system was introduced by the Mughals in northern India. The taxing system was introduced by Cholas in south India. The system through which justice was dispensed with in ancient rural Indian villages.

Raiyatwari was a land settlement introduced by the British in regions where they directly ruled.

Many districts of colonial India were administered through the zamindari system. In other areas that were under direct British rule had what was called the raiyatwari system of land settlement (raiyat means cultivator in Telugu). In this system, the ‘actual cultivators’ (who were themselves often landlords and not cultivators) rather than the zamindars were responsible for paying the tax.