Colonialism And The Countryside
In the Permanent Settlement, the taluqdars were the owners of the land. They paid a fixed rent to the Company. They distributed their land among the peasants. They earned the desired interest from them. In other words, the Permanent Settlement benefitted most the rich Zamindars. They had to pay the revenue that was fixed in perpetuity. The state was unable to claim its share in the enhanced income of the farmers. On the contary, under the Ryotwari system, the government got tax from those who cultivated lands with their own hands.
Under the Ryotwari system, all the middlement were removed. This system was better than the Permanent Settlement of revenue. It increased the rights of the farmers. It also increased the income of the state. Infact the Ryotwari Settlement was introduced to alleviate the drawbacks of the Permanet Settlement.
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Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
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.
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