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During the British period, the Zamindari, Mahalwari, and Ryotwari systems, tenancy cultivation was quite common in India. The small and marginal farmers as
well as the landless labourers were interested in doing cultivation in the fields of Zamindars. There were three types of tenants, namely: (i) occupancy or permanent tenants with permanent and heritable rights, (ii) tenants at will or temporary tenants, and (iii) sub-tenants or Shikwii-kisan. The condition of temporary and sub-tenants was adhoc and they were subject to ruthless exploitation. Frequent enhancement of rent, eviction on petty grounds and begari (free service) were some of the prevalent ways of exploitation. In India about 20 per cent of the agricultural land is devoted to share-cropping {batai}, where 50 per cent of the produce is the normal rent. On several occasions, the peasant have to forego even two-thirds of the produce as rent. Under the land tenancy reforms, more than 11.5 million cultivators have been given tenancy rights. The tenancy reforms cover the following points:
(i) regulation of rent,
(ii) security of tenure, and
(iii) conferment of ownership on tenants. States have made the following provisions to achieve the third objective:
(a) All tenants have been given full security of tenure, without giving the owners the right of personal cultivation.
(b) Owners have been given the right to resume a limited area (not more than a family holding in any case) subject, however, to conditions that a minimum area is left with the tenant.
(c) A limit has been placed on the extent of land with a land-owner may resume, but the tenant is not entitled to retain minimum area of cultivation in all cases.