The correct answer is: D. Mahalwari
The Mahalwari system was a land revenue system introduced by the British East India Company in the early 19th century. It was based on the principle of collective responsibility, whereby the village community as a whole was held responsible for the payment of land revenue. The system was introduced in the northwestern provinces of India, and later extended to other parts of the country.
The Mahalwari system was based on the assumption that the village community was a cohesive unit that could be held responsible for the payment of land revenue. The village headman, or patwari, was responsible for collecting the revenue from the villagers and paying it to the government. The patwari was also responsible for keeping records of landholdings and crop yields.
The Mahalwari system was not without its problems. One problem was that the village headman was often corrupt and would collect more revenue from the villagers than was due. Another problem was that the system was not very efficient, as it took a long time to collect the revenue from all of the villages.
Despite its problems, the Mahalwari system was a significant improvement over the previous land revenue systems. It was more efficient and equitable, and it helped to promote agricultural development.
The other options are:
- A. Zamindari was a land revenue system in which the zamindars, or landlords, were responsible for collecting land revenue from the peasants and paying it to the government. The zamindars were often absentee landlords who did not live in the villages and did not take an interest in the welfare of the peasants.
- B. Zabti was a land revenue system in which the government directly collected land revenue from the peasants. The zabti system was often used in areas where there was no strong central authority, such as in the Deccan region of India.
- C. Ryotwari was a land revenue system in which the government collected land revenue directly from the ryots, or peasants. The ryotwari system was often used in areas where there was a strong central authority, such as in the Madras Presidency.