An inscription on a stone at Malkapuram in Guntur district records the extent of land in each of the 19 villages included in the Ravipudi sthala as measured by the standard rope of 38 cubits. The measurement was made by the villagers themselves, by mutual agreement, under the order of Ibrahim Qutb Shah. Under Qutb Shahi rule, the cultivators used a standard rope for measuring the land.

Most of the villages were held under the mirasi tenure. The word mirasi is derived from miras, which means hereditary right. The farmans of the Qutb Shahis contain references to twelve ayagars, holding lands under hereditary tenure, known as balutiyan. The twelve included:

• Patel (headman)
• Kulkarni (accountant)
• Chaudari (head of traders)
• Potadar (money changer)
• Despandy (district accountant)
• Nahani (barbe)
• Parit (washerman)
• Gurav (temple attendant)
• Sutar (carpenter)
• Kumbhar (potter)
• Vesanar (gatekeeper)
• Joshi (astrologer)

The Qutb Shahis recognized the right of owning lands by private individuals. One Malik Mishk endowed “all the lands in the village Atapur,” purchased from him, Mir Malik from special sources, as well as from trees in the cultivated and other lands. Land disputes and remeasurements were common under such circumstances. An inscription at Devulachervu in Madanapalle taluk, Chittor district, records the measurement of certain land in that village, which was under dispute.

During the Qutb Shahi period, agriculture was the primary occupation of the majority of people. Land Revenue was the chief source of income for the imperial treasury. The Qutb Shahi Sultans, like the Kakatiyas, made sincere attempts to encourage agriculture by constructing numerous tanks and canals. Under the Qutb Shahis, the peasants lived in peace, and the tax burden was normal. A contemporary scholar, Girdharilal Asqar, in his work Tariq-e-Zafrah, described the total revenue of the State as 82,95,196 hons in 1685-86 from 22 Sarkars. Converted into rupees at the stated rate of Rs. 3 per hon, this amounts to about Rs. 2,47,85,529. To this figure must be added the revenue of the 16 Sarkars (162 paraganas) of the newly acquired Karnataka region, amounting to about 26,75,498 hons.

From the above information, we can conclude that Sikkol Sarkar with 115 Parganas was the largest Sarkar in the entire Qutb Shahi Kingdom, while the smallest Sarkar was Melangur with three Paraganas. The highest revenue to the State treasury came from Kovilkonda, amounting to 10,510,517.14 Annas.

The Golconda Sultan also received revenue from diamond mines, which were given on lease to contractors. According to eminent historian Siddiqui, the total revenue of the Golconda Sultan from all sources was 5 crores. After expenses, the Sultan saved nearly 1 crore per year.