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Colonialism And The Countryside
When was the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal? Who enforced it? What ideas worked behind its imposition?
The British introduced a new system of revenue collection in Bengal. It was called the Permanent Settlement.
It was introduced by Lord Charles Cornwallis in 1793. Under this system, the East India Company had fixed the revenue that each zamindar had to pay. If any zamindar failed to make the payment of the revenue in time, his estates were auctioned to recover the due revenue.
The ideas behind the system. By introducing the Permanent Settlement, the British officials wanted to resolve the problems that they faced. They were aware that the rural economy of Bengal was in crisis because of the following factors:
(i) There was the recurrence of many famines.
(ii) There was a considerable decline in the agricultural production.
Regular flow of revenue : The need of hour. The British officials realized the need to enhance revenue resources. This could be done by encouraging investment in agriculture and trade. So they permanently fixed the rates revenue to ensure a regular flow of revenue.
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How did zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?
How did the Paharias respond to the coming of outsiders?
Why did the Santhals rebel against British rule?
Why were many zamindaris auctioned after the Permanent Settlement?
In what way was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of the Santhals?
How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?
On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark out the areas described in this chapter. Find out whether there were other areas where the Permanent Settlement and the Ryotwari system were prevalent and plot these on the map as well.
Mention the revenue system introduced by the British in Bombay Deccan with one of its main characteristics.
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