What was the consequence of Permanent Settlement on rural society in Bengal?
- (a)The zamindars invested capital and enterprise to improve agriculture along lines of British yeoman farmers
- (b)A group of rich peasants known as jotedars succeeded in consolidating their position in the villages
- (c)The ryots prospered as a result of fixed revenue levy imposed on them
- (d)The system of Collectorate introduced by the Company for exercising supervisory control on zamindars failed to take off
Correct — B, a group of rich peasants known as jotedars succeeded in consolidating their position in the villages. As many zamindars, squeezed by the high, fixed revenue demand, lost their estates at auction, a class of rich peasants — the jotedars — grew powerful in the countryside: they controlled large lands, lent money, and dominated the poorer sharecroppers (adhiars). This is the well-documented outcome of the Permanent Settlement in Bengal.
- (a)The zamindars invested capital and enterprise to improve agriculture along lines of British yeoman farmers — The opposite happened — most zamindars did not invest in improving agriculture; many were rentiers who lost land under the harsh revenue terms.
- (c)The ryots prospered as a result of fixed revenue levy imposed on them — Cultivators (ryots) did not prosper; the revenue was fixed on the zamindar, and the actual tillers often sank into debt and sharecropping.
- (d)The system of Collectorate introduced by the Company for exercising supervisory control on zamindars failed to take off — This misstates the settlement; the defining outcome was the collapse of many zamindars and the rise of the jotedars, not a failed collectorate.
The Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793, under Cornwallis) fixed the land revenue payable by zamindars in perpetuity. The demand was high and rigid, and zamindars who failed to pay on time had their estates auctioned. Over time many old zamindars declined while rich peasants — jotedars — accumulated land and rural power, as detailed in the NCERT account of colonial Bengal.
The question tests the real social outcome. Rule out the rosy claims (zamindars as improving farmers; prospering ryots) — colonial-countryside history shows the opposite. The jotedars' rise is the correct, textbook answer.
- The Permanent Settlement (1793) fixed revenue on the zamindars of Bengal permanently.
- Its high, rigid demand ruined many zamindars, whose estates were auctioned.
- Rich peasants (jotedars) consolidated land and power in the villages.
- Poor cultivators often became sharecroppers (adhiars) dependent on the jotedars.
The lasting outcome in Bengal was the rise of the jotedars as many zamindars declined.
- Believing the Permanent Settlement turned zamindars into improving 'yeoman' farmers — it largely did not.
- Assuming fixed revenue helped the ryots — it protected the state's income, not the cultivator.
Asked as the consequence of the Permanent Settlement, or by contrasting zamindars, jotedars and ryots.
Under the Permanent Settlement, 1793, the zamindars were required to issue pattas to the farmers which were not issued by many of the zamindars. The reason was
- (a) the zamindars were trusted by the farmers
- (b) there was no official check upon the zamindars
- (c) it was the responsibility of the British Government
- (d) the farmers were not interested in getting pattas
Answer(b) there was no official check upon the zamindars
Same concept — the working of the Permanent Settlement (1793). UPSC tests why zamindars ignored the patta rule (there was no official check on them); this one tests its social consequence, the rise of the jotedars.
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists: List-I (System/Category) A. Upari B. Pattadar C. Mirasidar D. Inam lands List-II (Description) 1. Peasants directly responsible for the payment of revenue 2. Category of tenancy tenure held under the Marathas 3. Gifts of land or land revenue 4. Co-parcenary title holder and designated revenue payer in southern India Code:
- (a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (b) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
- (c) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
- (d) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Answer(a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
Same concept — colonial and pre-colonial land-revenue and tenure categories. That NDA item matches tenure terms (Upari, Pattadar, Mirasidar, Inam); this one tests the social effect of the Permanent Settlement (the jotedars).
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal was introduced by
- (a)Warren Hastings
- (b)Lord Cornwallis
- (c)Lord Wellesley
- (d)Lord Dalhousie
Answer(b) Lord Cornwallis.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In colonial Bengal, the rich peasants who consolidated power as many zamindars declined were the
- (a)ryots
- (b)adhiars
- (c)jotedars
- (d)mahajans
Answer(c) jotedars.