Permanent Settlement was introduced by Lord Cornwallis. It was a grand contract signed in 1793 between the government of the East India Company in Bengal and individual landholders of Bengal- zamindars and talukdars. Under the contract, the Zamindars were admitted into the colonial state system as the absolute proprietors of landed property in Bengal. Ryotwari System was introduced by Thomas Munro in 1820. This was the primary land revenue system in South India. Major areas of introduction include Madras, Bombay, parts of Assam and Coorg provinces of British India. In Ryotwari System the ownership rights were handed over to the peasants. British Government collected taxes directly from the peasants. Mahalwari System was introduced in 1822 by Holt Mackenzie. Later, the system was reformed during the period of William Bentinck (1833). This was the primary land revenue system in North-West India. It was introduced in Central Province, North-West Frontier, Agra, Punjab,. Gangetic Valley, etc of British India. In this system, the land was divided into Mahals. Each Mahal comprises one or more villages.