The early ryotwari settlements in Madras were based upon insufficient experience.
The influence of Sir Thomas Munro afterwards led to the adoption of the ryotwari system, which will always be associated with his name.
The prevailing system throughout the Madras presidency is the ryotwari, which takes the cultivator or peasant proprietor as its rent-paying unit, somewhat as the Bengal system takes the zamindar.
Nothing can be more complete in theory and more difficult of exposition than a Madras ryotwari settlement.
In the other provinces variations of the zamindari and ryotwari systems are found.