THE ZAMINDARI SYSTEM AND THE LAND REVENUE ADMINISTRATION IN TAMILNADU UNDER THE BRITISH -A HISTORICAL STUDY

Abstract

The British land revenue administration in Tamil Nadu faced significant challenges when they assumed control over revenue collection from the Nawab of Arcot. The existing revenue system, which already placed a heavy tax burden on the Poligars through the Peshcush (a tribute paid to the ruling authority), was exacerbated by additional demands for lavish gifts from British officials. This imposition further deepened the exploitative nature of the British land revenue policies, making them highly oppressive for local landholders and farmers. In an attempt to streamline and consolidate their control over the region, the British introduced the Zamindari system within the Poligars' palayams (territories). The British intended this shift to stabilize the revenue system and reduce the administrative burden by making local elites responsible for tax collection. In February of that year, the Madras Legislative Council passed a resolution calling for the abolition of the Zamindari system, a critical step in the region's broader land reform agenda. Subsequently, the Zamindars Abolition Bill was introduced, and the Zamindari Abolition Act came into force on April 2, 1947.