Thread by @zeneraalstuff

When Victoria Venkataramanamma's brother was the Premier of Madras Presidency, the world went through the Great Depression. Even after economic recovery began in the rest of the world, this Province remained in a decade of stagnation from 1932-1937. The rich zamindars who /1

made up the Cabinet took 50% higher salaries than Ministers in other provinces. Congress brought a resolution asking for ryotwari tax to be reduced so that suffering peasants could get relief. The zamindars refused to reduce taxes unless it was reduced for them, too. /2

As a consequence, the peasants were drowning in debt. The zamindars and their moneylender cronies who ran the Govt swooped in and took over lands. In some regions like Tirunelveli, half the peasant population was dispossessed of their lands. Crop prices across all crops fell /3

but the zamindars refused to reduce the tax levy. They continued to import rice from Burma and Siam, since by 30s the moneylenders now owned almost a third of land in Burma. ref: A Colonial Economy in the Great Depression, Madras (1929-1937)
By K. A. Manikumar · 2003 /4

Their tenure was devastating to the local economy of Madras Presidency. It was also in the 20s and 30s that caste clashes increased. From 1960 to 1900, the system of kudi-kaval, where some castes were hereditary policemen was dismantled. These castes were designated criminal /5

A light 20,000 strong native constabulary, with all senior positions reserved for the British, replaced the hereditary talaiyari castes that guarded villages. Once the hereditary system had been completely destroyed, the British police stopped patrolling villages. At this time /6

the caste clashes took over. The zamindars never sought to improve policing, since they had a huge retinue of retainers from the erstwhile talaiyari, now criminal, castes to serve as cheap security for them. This is how 'social justice' worked then /END