Bakastha was a system of land revenue collection in India during the Mughal era. It was a form of tax farming, in which the government would lease out the right to collect taxes on a particular piece of land to a private individual or group. The tax farmer would then be responsible for collecting the taxes from the farmers and paying them to the government.
The bakastha system was introduced by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. Akbar believed that this system would be more efficient and effective than the previous system of land revenue collection, which was based on a system of direct taxation.
The bakastha system was generally successful in increasing tax revenue for the Mughal government. However, it also led to a number of problems, including corruption and abuse of power by the tax farmers.
The bakastha system was eventually abolished by the British colonial government in the 19th century.
Here are some of the key features of the bakastha system:
- The government would lease out the right to collect taxes on a particular piece of land to a private individual or group.
- The tax farmer would then be responsible for collecting the taxes from the farmers and paying them to the government.
- The tax farmer would usually pay a fixed amount to the government in advance, and then keep any additional revenue that they collected.
- The bakastha system was often criticized for being corrupt and inefficient.
The bakastha system was an important part of the Mughal system of land revenue collection. It had a significant impact on the lives of farmers and other landholders in India.