11th July 2022 | Land reforms: I generation (1947-1970) and II generation land reforms (1970 onwards)- Abolition of Intermediaries: Zamindari, Jagirdari and Inamdari

Number of questions- Mains: 02, Prelims – 10

Mains Questions of the day:  

1.Discuss the features of first phase of land reforms in Telangana during 1947-1970. 

Introduction:

Mention the reasons that has contributed for land reforms in Telangana.

Body:

Mention the important features of the first phase of land reforms in Telangana i.e.., during 1947-1970. 

Conclusion:

Write impact of the land reforms of this phase. 

Content:

Land Reforms in Telangana:

• Agriculture occupies an important place in the economic, social and political life of India even today.
• More than half of the population of the country and the state depend on agriculture.
• In any year the agricultural growth rate is high, the economic growth rate is also high in that year. There are two main reasons for low productivity in the agricultural sector.

• Technical errors are the cause of low productivity.
• The reason behind the backwardness of agriculture is the feudal and semi-feudal systems.

Eg:- Inequality in land ownership, small plots, partition of plots, high rent, lack of security of tenant etc.

• Measures taken to eliminate technological deficiencies led to the New Agricultural Policy (or) Green Revolution.
• Actions taken to eliminate land system defects are called land reforms.

The main objectives of land reforms in India and Telangana were:

• Removal of constraints to increase in agricultural production.
• To remove the exploitations and social injustices in the agricultural sector and to protect the tiller of the land.

Government has set following objectives through land reforms:

• Implementation of land ceiling: Rational utilization of scarce land through plot size change.
• Distribution of land to landless rural people: Nehru’s intention was “The objective of land reform is to empower the peasantry economically, socially and politically”.

First Phase (1947 – 70):

3. factors played a major role in land reforms at this stage:

• Systematic factors: Land tenure practices, tenancy systems, land concentration etc.
• Political factors: All India Congress and State Congress resolutions and policies
• Peasant movements:

• Telangana Peasant Struggle Against Feudal Extortion,
• Muslim Peasant Struggle against Visunur Deshmukh in 1920.

Systematic factors:

• Feudal policies
• Tenancy policies
• Geocentricity etc. which are a hindrance to agricultural development.

Telangana region was part of Hyderabad state before Andhra Pradesh came into being, while Andhra and Rayalaseema region was part of joint Madras state, so although there is some similarity in land tenure practices in these two regions, there is also some difference.

1. Feudal policies:

• Both the feudal systems introduced in the British and Nizam regions in India were obstacles to development. 
• These did not contribute to development but led to ‘stagnation’.
• In 1853, Karl Marx recognized that the zamindari and ryotwari systems were contradictory forms of agrarian revolution introduced by the British authorities.
• The zamindari system is known as Pettandari system while Ryothwari system is Prajatantra system.
• The zamindari system was a reflection of the British feudal system, while the peasant system was a reflection of the French peasantry system.
• Both of these are not intended for the benefit of the tilling farmer. Instruments useful to the Government for levying taxes on lands.

2. Tenancy Procedures in Hyderabad Region:

• There were 2 types of tenants in Hyderabad region when the Assamese Shakmechattam came into force in 1944.
• Doubtful Tenants (Permanent Tenants): If the tenant has the right to protect and cultivate the land, they are called Doubtful Tenants.
• Asami Shakmi Tenants (tenants without any rights): An Asami Shakmi tenant leases land for 12 years. He is recognized as a shaki tenant when he is able to keep his possession.

3.  Land concentration:

• In areas like Nalgonda and Warangal in Telangana region, about 60% to 70% of land is concentrated in the hands of Jagidars and Inandars.
• Centralization of land ownership should be reduced and a maximum limit should be fixed and surplus land should be distributed to the landless. Arguments on the subject have always existed.

Political factors:

• Returning to India in 1915, Gandhiji’s political career began with the peasant struggle.

Eg : Champaran Movement (Bihar)

• 1931 – The Karachi Congress passed a resolution to abolish the Zamindari system.
• 1946 – Congress promised to eliminate middlemen in its election manifesto.
• The Nizam government not only did not recognize the Congress party but also banned it until 1946. Therefore, as an alternative to this, Arya Samaj started in 1921 and tried to bring awareness among the people of Telangana. But it must be said that after 1948 the Congress came to power and played some role in the formulation and implementation of land reform laws.

Peasant movements:

• In 1928 N.G. Andhra State Rythu Sangam was formed under the leadership of Ranga.
• 1936 – All India Kisan Sabha formed.
• In 1945 there was a peasant armed struggle.

Land Tenure Systems in Hyderabad State: There were different types of land tenure systems in Hyderabad state.

• Jagirs
• Institutions
• Inandars
• Surfacekhas
• Khalsa/Diwani/Rytwari

2. Discuss the salient features of the second phase of land reforms in Telangana state i.e., after 1970?

Introduction:

Mention the reasons that has contributed for land reforms in Telangana.

Body:

Discuss the features of the 2^nd phase of land reforms in Telangana i.e.., during 1947-1970. 

Conclusion:

Discuss the impact of 2^nd phase of land reforms in Telangana. 

Content:

The main objectives of land reforms in India and Telangana were:

• Removal of constraints to increase in agricultural production.
• To remove the exploitations and social injustices in the agricultural sector and to protect the tiller of the land.

Government has set following objectives through land reforms:

• Implementation of land ceiling: Rational utilization of scarce land through plot size change.
• Distribution of land to landless rural people: Nehru’s intention was “The objective of land reform is to empower the peasantry economically, socially and politically”.

Second Phase – Land Reforms after 1970: The first phase of land reforms was completed by 1970 and the second phase of land reforms after 1970.

3 main points can be mentioned for the second round of land reforms.

• Economic Reasons / Green Revolution.
• Political reasons
• The tension of peasant struggles

Economic Reasons/Green Revolution:

• By the time of independence, India was in a position to import food grains from abroad. As per the instructions of the Ford Foundation (USA) committee
• Concentrated Agricultural Districts Program (IADP) in 1960-61
• Concentrated Agricultural Areas Program (IAAP) was introduced in 1965.
• High Yield Variety Program (HYVP) was started in 1966. Due to this, agricultural production has increased tremendously.
• One of the primary objectives of land reform is to increase agricultural production. That is, as agricultural production increased, the need for land reforms decreased.

Political reasons:

• In 1948, the recommendations of the Kumarappa Committee were limited to the removal of intermediaries. The slogan “Earth to the ploughman” was raised.
• In the 1952 and 1957 elections, revolutionary laws were introduced to reduce the influence of the Communists, but amendments were introduced with several exceptions to appease the landed classes and attract rural voters through them.
• In the 1967 elections, Congress voter turnout declined in many states. Non-Congress governments were formed.
• Under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, the Congress nationalized the banks, abolished the royal emoluments, and became the slogan of Garibi Hatao. She tried to turn the rural poor towards their party.
• With the advent of non-Congress governments in some states, the issue of land reforms has come to the fore again.
• In 1972, on the recommendations of the committee appointed by the Congress on Land Reforms, the Chief Ministers meeting held in 1972 for the first time recognized land reforms as a national issue and formulated some guiding principles at the national level.
• In the All India Congress in 1972, he asked the state congress committees and workers to enact new land reform laws in all states and ensure that land is distributed to the deserving.
• It was in accordance with these guidelines that the Maximum Land Limitation Act, 1973 came into force.

The tension of peasant struggles:

• In 1969, under the leadership of the Multi-Party, there was a land struggle for government waste lands and government lands occupied by landlords.
• It first started in Krishna district and spread all over the state. 64,000 agricultural laborers occupied about one lakh acres of land and started cultivating it.
• Communist parties and socialist parties have intensified the joint land struggle.
• In 1972, the two Communist parties, the farmers’ unions and the agricultural labor unions announced a three-phase program of struggle for the Congress to implement its election promises and promulgate new land reform laws.
• In 1967, the armed peasant struggle that started in Bari village of West Bengal by the Naxals entered Srikakulam district of AP and soon spread to the Godavari river basin (Karimnagar, Adilabad, Warangal, Khammam, West Godavari).
• It was this Naxalite movement that made the tribes conscious and led an armed struggle against the exploitative practices of the non-tribal landlords and forest officials.
• The main reasons for the 2nd round of land reforms were the bad results brought by the Green Revolution, the changes in the political power of the state and the intensity of the communist movements. Therefore, new laws and amendments have been proposed in the matter of land reforms.

Prelims questions of the day:

1.Consider the following statements regarding Telangana 

1. Sarf-e-lhas lands were the village especially retained by the Nizam
2. These are covered under the Ryotwari system 

Which of the above statements are incorrect?

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None of them

Answer: D

Explanation: 

Sarf-e-lhas lands were the village especially retained by the Nizam, for his personal expenditure, and these areas were also covered under ryotwari. 

 2.Arrange the following land reforming acts in chronological order:

1. Andhra Pradesh Land Reforms (Ceiling on Landholdings) Act 
2. Inamdari Abolition Act 
3. Hyderabad (Telangana) Jagidari Abolition and Regulation Act 
4. The Andhra Pradesh Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings Act.

1. 3-2-4-1
2. 2-3-4-1
3. 3-2-1-4
4. 2-1-3-4

Answer: A

Explanation: 

Important land reform acts: 

• Abolition of intermediaries under “Hyderabad (Telangana) Jagidari Abolition and Regulation Act, 1949, and Inamdari Abolition Act 1955”. 
• protection of tenant right under “Hyderabad (Telangana) Tenancy, Agricultural Lands Act, 1950” 
• Land ceiling laws under “The Andhra Pradesh Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings Act, 1961 ” and “Andhra Pradesh Land Reforms (Ceiling on Landholdings) Act 1973”. 

3.Consider the following: 

1. Karnam 
2. Desai 
3. Deshmukh

Which of the above positions during Nizam’s rule were middlemen in the revenue system?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. All of them
4. 1 and 3

Answer: C

Explanation: 

The mediators in Nizam’s rule (of the three-tier system) used to assign the right to collect land revenue to middlemen through auction. These middlemen were known as Deshmukh, Sir Deshmukh Desai, Sir Desai, Pandit and Karnam. 

4.According to The Inamdari Abolition Act, 1955, Inamdars can retain how many times the size of the family holding?

1. 4.5
2. 4
3. 5
4. 10 

Answer: A

Explanation:

• As Imams were abolished, the extent of the land to be retained by Inamdars was specified. 
• The act says that the Inamdars can retain land 4 1/2 times the size of the family holding.

5.Consider the following statements:

1. In zamindari areas, the intermediaries, between state and ryots, were generally called Zamindars.
2. The number of landlords increased between 1891 and 1921 because of the alienation of lands from actual peasants.

Which of the above statements are correct?

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None of them

Answer: C

Explanation: 

• In zamindari areas, the intermediaries, between state and ryots, were generally called 

Zamindars. 

• They existed in different forms like Jagirdas, Samsthandars, and Inamdars. 
• All these intermediaries were donated Jagirs by the Nizams in one form or another: They had to 

pay a portion of the rent to the Nizam government. 

• These intermediaries were unable to provide protection to the tiller of the land. Thousands 

of tenants were alienated from their lands and turned either into tenants or agricultural 

labor due to exploitative conditions. 

• The landlords in turn with their economic, social and political power continued to enjoy 

absolute dominance over villages. The number of landlords increased between 1891 and 

1921 because of alienation of lands from actual peasants. 

6.Consider the following statements:

1. Inamdari Abolition Act, 1955 abolished all the Inam lands.
2. The act provided occupancy rights to the tenants.

Which of the following statements are correct?

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None of them

Answer: B

Explanation:

Inamdari Abolition Act, 1955:

• In spite of the abolition of the Jagirdari System in 1949, the Government did not focus on Inam 

lands. But, in due course, the Government brought out Inamdari Abolition Act in 1955. 

• The act specifically stated that except for the Imam Lands allotted for rendering certain services 

to Nizam and lands under religious charitable trusts, the remaining Inams would be abolished. 

• This act was not only confined to the abolition of Inamdari system but fried to providing occupancy rights to the tenants.

7.What was Khalsa land in Nizam’s Hyderabad state? 

1. Lands under Zamindari possession
2. Lands given to soldiers
3. Lands in donated districts
4. Lands under Ryotwari system

Answer: D

Explanation: 

In Nizam’s Hyderabad state, there were Ryotwari areas and zamindari areas. Ryotwari area was also called as Khalsa or Deewani.

8.Out of 17 districts in erstwhile Nizam’s Hyderabad state, how many districts belonged to the Telangana region?

1. 10
2. 9
3. 8
4. 11

Answer: B

Explanation:

At the time of the merger into the Indian union, 9 out of 17 districts of Nizam’s Hyderabad state were part of Telangana.

9.Which of the following committee suggested Hyderabad Jagirdari Abolition and Regulation Act?

1. Koneru Rangarao committee
2. Hyderabad Agrarian reforms committee
3. Commission for farmer’s welfare
4. Kumarappan committee

Answer: B

Explanation: 

• Major General Chowdari, who had taken over reigns of administrative powers after the Police Action on Hyderabad princely state constituted Hyderabad Agrarian Reforms Committee to suggest appropriate recommendations to abolish existing land tenure systems in order to address the unrest among the farmers and tenants, evident in the armed struggle in parts of rural areas, which also hindered the growth of agriculture. 
• The committee proposed Hyderabad. 
• Jagirdari Abolition and Regulation Act after a careful and comprehensive study on the agrarian situation, land tenure system and to improve the lot of farmers and tenants of the Telangana area. 

10.Which of the following were the major problems in the implementation of the first generation of land reforms in Telangana

1. Delays in implementation
2. Compensation
3. Exemptions 

1. 1 and 2
2. 1 and 3
3. 2 and 3 
4. All of them.

Answer: D

Explanation:  

All of them.