The Mahalwari Settlement denotes a land revenue system introduced by the British colonial administration in specific regions of British India during the 19th century.
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Primarily implemented in the northwestern provinces encompassing present-day Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana, the system aimed to streamline revenue collection and promote individual landownership, contrasting with the preceding zamindari system. Operating under the Mahalwari Settlement, land revenue was directly assessed and collected from individual cultivators or village communities known as mahals. While the system afforded cultivators greater control over their land, it also imposed the responsibility of revenue payment directly upon them, potentially exposing some farmers to exploitation and indebtedness. As time progressed, the Mahalwari Settlement gave way to alternative land revenue systems throughout the colonial era.