The correct answer is: D) British colonial policies.
The British East India Company began to establish its rule in India in the early 17th century. By the mid-18th century, the Company had become the dominant power in the subcontinent. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, broke out. The rebellion was suppressed, but it led to the British government taking direct control of India from the Company.
One of the first major reforms undertaken by the British government was the abolition of the zamindari system. The zamindari system was a system of land tenure in which large landowners, known as zamindars, held vast tracts of land from the Mughal emperors. The zamindars were responsible for collecting taxes from the peasants who lived on their land.
The British government believed that the zamindari system was unjust and inefficient. The zamindars were often absentee landlords who did not take care of their land or their tenants. The British government also believed that the zamindari system was a barrier to economic development.
In 1859, the British government passed the Indian Land Revenue Act, which abolished the zamindari system. The Act transferred ownership of the land from the zamindars to the government. The government then leased the land to the peasants on a long-term basis.
The abolition of the zamindari system was a major reform that had a significant impact on the lives of millions of people in India. The reform led to a more equitable distribution of land and to greater economic opportunities for the peasants.
The other options are incorrect because:
- Option A is incorrect because land reform policies were not the main reason for the abolition of the zamindari system. The British government abolished the zamindari system because it believed that the system was unjust and inefficient.
- Option B is incorrect because princely state integration was not the main reason for the abolition of the zamindari system. The British government abolished the zamindari system in all of India, not just in the princely states.
- Option C is incorrect because peasant revolts were not the main reason for the abolition of the zamindari system. The British government abolished the zamindari system without any major peasant revolts.