Final answer:
In pre-colonial India, the land ownership pattern was characterized by a complex system where the king granted land to nobles and chiefs, who in turn granted land to peasants. This system was known as the zamindari system, where the zamindars or landlords had power and control over the land. Peasants had to pay rent to the landlords. Other forms of land tenure existed as well.
Step-by-step explanation:
In pre-colonial India, the land ownership pattern was characterized by a complex system where the king or ruler held ultimate authority over the land. The king granted land to nobles and chiefs as a form of reward or payment for their services. These nobles and chiefs, in turn, granted land to peasants, who were responsible for cultivating and working the land.
This land ownership pattern was known as the zamindari system. Under this system, the zamindars or landlords had a significant amount of power and control over the land and could extract taxes and rents from the peasants. The peasants were tied to the land and had to pay a portion of their produce as rent to the zamindars. This system perpetuated a hierarchical social structure and limited the mobility and rights of the peasants.
There were also other forms of land tenure patterns in pre-colonial India, such as the miri system in parts of South India and the ryotwari system introduced by the British during colonial rule.
Learn more about pre-colonial land ownership in India