1940- Report Of TheMalabar Tenancy Committee - Volume II- Evidence
Item
en
1940- Report Of TheMalabar Tenancy Committee - Volume II- Evidence
1940
384
The “Report of the Malabar Tenancy Committee” is a key historical document on agrarian relations and land tenure in Malabar, now part of Kerala. Volume II, “Evidence,” compiles depositions and testimonies from diverse witnesses including janmis (landlords), kanamdars and verumpattamdars (tenant classes), agricultural laborers, peasants, officials, lawyers, experts, as well as submitted documents from organizations and individuals.
Volume II provides detailed firsthand evidence on the land laws favoring landlords, highlighting tenants’ struggles such as insecure tenures due to widespread evictions without fair compensation, excessive rents, and illegal levies. It also discusses tenant claims to compensation for permanent improvements like planting and wells, which led to early protective laws. Furthermore, it explains the complex tenancy arrangements like Kanam and Verumpattam, showing how colonial laws often harmed actual cultivators by misinterpreting these systems.
Volume II provides detailed firsthand evidence on the land laws favoring landlords, highlighting tenants’ struggles such as insecure tenures due to widespread evictions without fair compensation, excessive rents, and illegal levies. It also discusses tenant claims to compensation for permanent improvements like planting and wells, which led to early protective laws. Furthermore, it explains the complex tenancy arrangements like Kanam and Verumpattam, showing how colonial laws often harmed actual cultivators by misinterpreting these systems.