Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during the British rule?
- 1.Lord Cornwallis
- 2.Alexander Read
- 3.Thomas Munro
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only
The ryotwari system, a settlement made directly with the cultivators, was first tried by Captain Alexander Read in territories taken from Tipu Sultan and then developed and extended across south India by Thomas Munro. Cornwallis is linked with the opposite model, the Permanent Settlement with zamindars in Bengal (1793).
- ✗ 1. Cornwallis was Governor-General of Bengal when the Permanent Settlement of 1793 fixed revenue in perpetuity with zamindars; ryotwari was a move away from that idea.
- ✓ 2. Alexander Read tried the ryotwari system on a small scale in areas the Company took over after the wars with Tipu Sultan.
- ✓ 3. Thomas Munro developed Read's system and extended it over south India, arguing that settlement should be made directly with the ryots who tilled the land.
Remember · Permanent Settlement (1793, Bengal) = Cornwallis, with zamindars. Ryotwari = Read, then Munro (Madras); Mahalwari = village-based, north-west.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·