How was the zamindari system of land settlement responsible for the stagnation of Indian agriculture?

Question

Accepted Answer

The zamindari system of revenue settlement was introduced by the colonial government.

1. The zamindars were made the owners of large tracts of land. In return, they had to pay a fixed amount of land revenue to the government. The main interest of the zamindars was only to collect rent, and they did nothing to improve the condition of agriculture.

2. The cultivators had no ownership rights. Thus, they lacked the interest to increase the productivity of land.

3. The agricultural sector was marked by low levels of technology, lack of irrigation facilities and negligible use of fertilisers, leading to low productivity and stagnation.

Thus, the zamindari system, by creating a class of absentee landlords and leaving the actual cultivators without any incentive, was largely responsible for the stagnation of Indian agriculture.