# British tax rule forced Mysore farmers to switch to ragi in 1870s 2026-08-13T04:42:29+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A feature in Hindustan Times recounts how British-era administrative changes in Mysore between 1871 and 1873 caused a dramatic shift from wet rice to ragi cultivation. When irrigation control moved from local revenue officers to the Public Works Department, and the new Revenue Survey taxed all occupied land whether cropped or not, area under rice dropped from 1.32 million acres to just half a million. Fields reverted to dry-land ragi, a water-efficient crop that became the staple. The article also draws on ancient texts such as the 12th-century Manasollasa and the 1025 A.D. Lokopakara to show the region's rich culinary history, including recipes for payasam, rice dishes, and vegetable preparations, long before chillies arrived. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: ancient recipes, Benjamin Lewis Rice, colonial agriculture, food history, Mysore, ragi Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/british-tax-rule-forced-mysore-farmers-to-switch-to-ragi-in-1870s/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/british-tax-rule-forced-mysore-farmers-to-switch-to-ragi-in-1870s/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.