Class 8 NCERT History - Ruling the CountrysideCBSE Guess questions with answers
CBSE Guess Questions with their Answers (Short)
Question.1: When and who appointed the
Company as Diwan of Bengal?
Answer: On 12th
August, 1765, the Mughal emperor appointed the East India Company as the Diwan
of Bengal.
CBSE Guess Questions with their Answers (Long)
Question.2: Write short notes on:
i.
Permanent Settlement.
ii.
Mahalwari System.
iii.
The Munro System (Ryotwari System).
Answer:
(i)
Permanent Settlement: The Bengal economy fell sharply was facing a deep crisis
after the company was given the rights of Diwan. The company officials realized
that it was due to their lack of planning which led to the downfall in Indian
economy and their revenue collection.
The zamindars were not investing for the improvement of land. In order
to encourage investment in land and improve agriculture the company introduced
the Permanent Settlement in 1793.It was devised by Lord Cornwallis. According
to this system The Rajas and Taluqdars were recognized as Zamindars. They were
agreed to collect rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company. The
amount to be paid (revenue) was fixed permanently that it was not to be
increased ever in future. The condition was that the Zamindars had to pay this
revenue rigidly on due date even if the crop had failed for some reason as
otherwise the land was auctioned. It was felt that this would ensure a regular
flow of revenue into the Company’s coffers and at the same time encourage the
Zamindars to invest for improving the land because the zamindar would benefit
if he could increase production from the land by his own efforts. On the
contrary the Company officials ultimately discovered that the zamindars were
not interested in investment for improvement of the land. It was also
discovered that the revenue which had been fixed was so high that the zamindars
found it difficult to pay. The peasants were in distress as they found the
system extremely oppressive. So ultimately the ‘Permanent Settlement’ system
was not successful as expected.
(ii)
Mahalwari System: As the Permanent Settlement system became unsuccessful
so, the Company introduced another system popularly known as Mahalwari System.
This system was devised by Holt Mackenzie which came into effect in 1822 in the
North West provinces of Bengal Presidency. The revenue was not fixed and the
Government could increase the same whenever it was in need of money to meet its
expenses of administration. The estimated revenue of each plot within a village
was added up to calculate the revenue that each mahal (village) had to pay. The
charge of collecting the revenue and paying it to the Company was given to the
village headman. Thus the ‘village’ and the ‘village headman’ would benefit
since there was no middleman between the British and the village headman. The
village headmen had a scope to negotiate with the Company if they were unable
to pay the revenue fro some reason and also continued to cultivate the land.
(iii)
The Munro System
(Ryotwari System): In the British
territories of the south a similar system existed as the Permanent Settlement.
The new system was known as the ‘ryotwari system’. Captain Alexander Read tried
this on small scale in some of the areas annexed after the wars with Tipu
Sultan. Since this system was developed by Thomas Munro so, it is also known as
Munro System. It was gradually extended all over South India. Read and Munro
found that there were no traditional zamindars. This settlement had to be made
directly with the cultivators (ryots) who had tilled the land for generations.
The fields of cultivators had to be carefully and separately surveyed before
the assessment of revenue. Munro had the idea that the British should not act
as paternal father figures who would protect the ryots under their charge. But
within a few years it was felt that all not well as nothing happened as it was
expected. The revenue officials fixed too high a revenue demand. Ryots were not
able to pay the revenue. As a result they fled to the countryside and villages
became deserted. Although it was expected that the new system would transform
the peasants into rich farmers, but it failed to happen.
Further Study (NCERT Solutions)
No comments:
Write comments