, LEADERS PRIVATE SCHOOL, SHARJAH
[SOCIAL SCIENCE]
History
Class : VIII
Lesson: 3 The Country side under the Company’s Rule
1. What was the Permanent Settlement? Describe the main features of the Permanent
Settlement. Mention two advantages to the British and the disadvantages the farmers
had in it.
Ans. To ensure a regular income, the Company decided to fix the land revenue of
Bengal and Bihar on a permanent basis. This scheme was introduced by Lord
Cornwallis and came to be known as the Permanent Settlement.
Its main features were,
By the terms of the settlement, the local Zamindars were asked to collect the
rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company. The revenue to be
collected from an area was fixed permanently with no scope of revision later.
If the Zamindars failed to pay the revenue, he would lose his zamindari rights.
The land then would be given to other zamindars.
The advantages for the British were:
The system of fixing the revenue in advance was extremely advantageous to
the company. It ensured them a regular flow of revenue and at the same time
encourages the Zamindars to invest in improving the land.
The disadvantages to the farmers were:
In the villages, the cultivators found the system extremely oppressive. The rent
they paid to the zamindar was high and their right on the land was insecure.
To pay the rent farmers had to often take a loan from the moneylender, and
when they failed to pay the rent they were evicted from the land.
2. Describe the salient features of the Ryotwari system. T
The Ryotwari system was devised by Thomas Munro. It was introduced in parts of the
Madras and Bombay presidencies.
Under this system, the Company made a revenue settlement directly with the
‘ryot’ or peasant. The farmer was the owner of the land as long as he paid the
land revenue.
The revenue amount was fixed according to the fertility of the soil
3. How was the Mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
Mahalwari System Permanent Settlement
The Mahalwari system, devised by Holt The Permanent Settlement was introduced
Mackenzie in the present day- Uttar by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal and Bihar.
Pradesh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and
parts of Punjab.
The village headman of each village was The Zamindars were in charge of
in charge of collecting revenue collecting revenue
The revenue amount was not fixed, and The revenue amount was fixed
was to be revised periodically. permanently with no scope of a revision
later.
4. Describe the Indigo Rebellion.
Ans. The Indigo rebellion of 1859-60, in Bengal was a powerful peasant protest. It
was a rebellion of non-cooperation with the indigo planters. Thousands of peasants
refused to sow indigo on their land. The cultivators attacked the indigo factories. Even
women took part in the resistance against the indigo planters. At some places the local
zamindars also joined the peasants.
The wide spread nature of the rebellion forced the British Government to act
immediately. It set up the Indigo Commission to look into the system of indigo
production. The Commission held the planters guilty and declared that indigo
production was not profitable for the farmers. The Commission asked the farmers to
full fill their existing contracts and also told them that they could refuse to produce
indigo in future.
Note Book Activity: You are now familiar with the misery and poverty that plagued
the lives of the peasants in the colonial period. Write a paragraph on the problems
faced by Indian peasants in the modern period. Give your insight on probable ways to
improve their conditions.