Tenure system in South

The tenure system in the South was based on the concept of feudalism. Under this system, the king was the ultimate owner of all the land in the country. The land was divided into two categories - crown lands and mesne lands.

Crown lands

Crown lands were the lands that were directly owned by the king. These lands were rented out to tenants for a fixed period. The rent was paid in kind or in cash.

Tenants-at-will

Tenants-at-will were those tenants who had no fixed period of tenancy. They could be evicted at the will of the landlord. The rent for these tenants was also not fixed and could be increased or decreased at the will of the landlord.

Reason for Tenancy-at-will

The reason for tenancy-at-will was that the landlords wanted to have complete control over their lands. They did not want to be bound by any fixed period of tenancy. This gave them the freedom to evict their tenants and rent out their lands to others if they found a better deal.

Conclusion

Thus, in the South, crown lands were rented out to tenants-at-will. These tenants had no fixed period of tenancy and could be evicted at the will of the landlord. The rent for these tenants was also not fixed and could be increased or decreased at the will of the landlord. This system gave the landlords complete control over their lands and the tenants had no security of tenure.