The 1857 mutiny changed the way the British understood their role in India, and how they viewed all Indian's in drastic ways, but these changes would take a while longer to fully work its way into deep and impactful changes that would work down to affect the Indian farmer. Your Indian farmer is less effected then the upper levels of Indian society by the coming of the Raj, but they are going to see some changes at this early date.

A farmer in north-central India is going to be affected by three things by 1865, the spread of the railroads, changes in army recruitment, and the new Indian civil service. By 1856 there were only 250 kilometers of railroad track, by 1870 there were about 6400 kilometers. Transportation by rail was faster and more reliable than other options This would connect the agricultural lands of India to the coast, which helped with India's exports and cotton weaving industries, and would gradually bring about changes even to the small villages, These would connect them deeper into the British imperial system, offering economic opportunities.

If the railroad brought opportunity, the changes to army recruitment took it away. For poor farmers, a father or son serving in one of the presidential armies brought a regular income that would be a great help in tough times. After the mutiny, the Indian components of the armies would be decreased by about 40 percent, and recruitment would be shifted to Punjab region and groups such as Sikhs, Gurkhas, and Pathans who were among the tens of thousands that fought with the British in the mutiny. This is the mark of a changing racial attitude among the British, who made much about supposed racial differences between various Indian groups, all of whom were incapable of self-government.

The final area of change is from the Indian civil service. The service was set up to take over the administration of British India from the company. These young men mostly succeeded in being fairer and less corrupt than the company officers they were replacing. At this period they were almost all white, but eventually, the exam that they took to qualify for the position would be opened up to Indians. The tax burden on farmers would have still been high, but the representatives of the Raj were probably fairer and better administrators than their predecessors. They were also less likely to interfere with local practices and traditions. The mutiny had put a damper on much of the reforming zeal that had infused earlier British administrations.

I hope this answers your questions.

Sources:

James, Lawrence. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2013.

Keay, John. India: A History. New York: Grove Atlantic, 2011.