After independence in 1947, India inherited a rural economy marked by deep inequalities, land concentration, indebtedness, and the dominance of intermediaries who exploited cultivators and landless labourers. The colonial land revenue systems, such as zamindari, ryotwari, and mahalwari, had created a class of absentee landlords and moneylenders who extracted high rents and interest, leaving peasants in chronic poverty. The newly independent state, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, recognized that political freedom would be incomplete without social and economic justice in the countryside. Therefore, a series of strategies were adopted to dismantle exploitative structures and promote equitable rural development. The most important strategy was the abolition of intermediary systems. Soon after independence, the Government of India encouraged states to enact zamindari abolition laws. These laws transferred ownership rights from zamindars and intermediaries to actual cultivators. By eliminating multiple layers between the state and the peasantry, the government aimed to reduce rent exploitation and give farmers a direct stake in land. Although compensation was paid to landlords, this measure laid the foundation for agrarian restructuring and weakened feudal power in rural society. Another major step was the introduction of tenancy reforms. Large numbers of farmers cultivated land as tenants-at-will, paying high rents and facing the constant threat of eviction. Tenancy legislation sought to regulate rents, provide security of tenure, and in some cases confer ownership rights on tenants. Laws were enacted to fix maximum rents, prohibit arbitrary