RULING THE COUNTRYSIDE

Question 1

PERMANENT SETTLEMENT WAS INTRODUCED IN WHICH YEAR?

Answer 1

1793.

Question 2

CHANGES BROUGHT BY PERMANENT SETTLEMENT?

Answer 2

1. RAJAS AND TALUQDARS WERE RECOGNIZED AS ZAMIDARS.
2. THEY WERE ASKED TO COLLECT RENT FROM THE PEASANTS AND PAY REVENUE TO THE COMPANY.
3. THE AMOUNT TO BE PAID WAS FIXED PERMANENTLY, THAT IS, IT WAS NOT TO BE INCREASED EVER IN FUTURE.
4. IT VESTED THE LAND OWNERSHIP RIGHT IN THE ZAMIDARS.

Question 3

REASONS FOR INTRODUCING PERMANENT SETTLEMENT?

Answer 3

1. IT WAS FELT THAT THIS WOULD ENSURE A REGULAR FLOW OF REVENUE INTO THE COMPANY’S COFFERS.
2. IT WILL ENCOURAGE THE ZAMIDARS TO INVEST IN IMPROVING THE LAND.
3. TO SECURE A FIXED AND STABLE INCOME IN THE STATE.
4. TO REDUCE THE CORRUPTION AND GOVERNMENT EXPENSES TOWARDS PERIODICAL ASSESSMENTS.
5. TO EXTEND CULTIVATION AND ENCOURAGE AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE.

Question 4

THE PROBLEM WITH THE PERMANENT SETTLEMENT SYSTEM?

Answer 4

1. THE REVENUE THAT HAD BEEN FIXED WAS SO HIGH THAT THE ZAMIDARS FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO PAY. ANYONE WHO FAILED TO PAY THE REVENUE LOST HIS ZAMIDARI.
2. BY THE FIRST DECADE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY THE SITUATION CHANGED. THE PRICES IN THE MARKET ROSE AND CULTIVATION SLOWLY EXPANDED. THIS MEANT AN INCREASE IN THE INCOME OF THE ZAMIDARS BUT NO GAIN FOR THE COMPANY SINCE IT COULD NOT INCREASE A REVENUE DEMAND THAT HAD BEEN FIXED PERMANENTLY.
3. THE CULTIVATOR FOUND IT OPPRESSIVE. THE RENT HE PAID TO THE ZAMIDAR WAS HIGH AND HIS RIGHT ON THE LAND WAS INSECURE. TO PAY THE RENT HE HAD TO OFTEN TAKE A LOAN FROM THE MONEYLENDER, AND WHEN HE FAILED TO PAY THE RENT HE WAS EVICTED FROM THE LAND HE HAD CULTIVATED FOR GENERATIONS.

Question 5

TERM MAHAL MEANING IN MODERN INDIA?

Answer 5

IN BRITISH RECORDS MAHAL IS A REVENUE ESTATE WHICH MAY BE A VILLAGE OR A GROUP OF VILLAGES.

Question 6

ENGLISHMEN ASSOCIATED WITH MAHALWARI SYSTEM?

Answer 6

1. HOLT MACKENZIE
2. WILLIAM BENTICK
3. ROBERT MARTINS BIRD
4. FRANCIS HASTINGS.

Question 7

WHO INTRODUCED MAHALWARI SYSTEM? WHEN, WHERE AND WHY?

Answer 7

HOLT MACKENZIE IN 1822 IN NORTH WESTERN PROVINCES OF THE BENGAL PRESIDENCY (MOST OF THIS AREA NOW IN UTTAR PRADESH) BECAUSE HE FELT THAT THE VILLAGE WAS AN IMPORTANT SOCIAL INSTITUTION IN NORTH INDIAN SOCIETY AND NEEDED TO BE PRESERVED.

Question 8

WHAT WAS MAHALWARI SYSTEM?

Answer 8

1. UNDER MACKENZIE’S DIRECTIONS, COLLECTORS WENT FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE, INSPECTING THE LAND, MEASURING THE FIELDS, AND RECORDING THE CUSTOMS AND RIGHTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.
2. THE ESTIMATED REVENUE OF EACH PLOT WITHIN A VILLAGE WAS ADDED UP TO CALCULATE THE REVENUE THAT EACH VILLAGE (MAHAL) HAD TO PAY.
3. THE DEMAND WAS REVISED PERIODICALLY, NOT PERMANENTLY FIXED.
4. THE CHARGE OF COLLECTING THE REVENUE AND PAYING IT TO THE COMPANY WAS GIVEN TO THE VILLAGE HEADMAN, RATHER THAN THE ZAMIDAR. THIS SYSTEM CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE MAHALWARI SYSTEM.

Question 9

WHO INTRODUCED MUNRO SYSTEM? AND WHERE?

Answer 9

1. AKA RYOTWAR (RYOTWARI) SYSTEM WAS TRIED ON A SMALL SCALE BY CAPTAIN ALEXANDER READ IN SOME AREAS THAT WERE TAKEN OVER BY THE COMPANY AFTER THE WARS WITH TIPU SULTAN.
2. SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPED BY THOMAS MUNRO AND GRADUALLY EXTENDED ALL OVER SOUTH INDIA.

Question 10

WHAT WAS MUNRO SYSTEM?

Answer 10

1. READ AND MUNRO FELT THAT IN THE SOUTH THERE WERE NO TRADITIONAL ZAMIDARS. THE SETTLEMENT THEY ARGUED HAD TO BE DIRECTLY MADE WITH THE CULTIVATORS (RYOTS) WHO HAD TILLED THE LAND FOR GENERATIONS.
2. THEIR FIELDS HAD TO BE CAREFULLY AND SEPARATELY SURVEYED BEFORE THE REVENUE ASSESSMENT WAS MADE.
3. MUNRO THOUGHT THAT THE BRITISH SHOULD ACT AS FATHER FIGURES PROTECTING THE RYOTS UNDER THEIR CHARGE.

Question 11

WHAT IS MORRIS COTTON PRINT AND WHO DESIGNED IT?

Answer 11

FLORAL COTTON PRINT DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY WILLIAM MORRIS, A FAMOUS POET AND ARTIST OF NINETEENTH CENTURY BRITAIN.

Question 12

COMMON THING BETWEEN THE KALAMKARI PRINT AND THE MORRIS PRINT?

Answer 12

BOTH USE A RICH BLUE COLOR- COMMONLY CALLED INDIGO.

Question 13

WHY EUROPEANS DEMANDED INDIAN INDIGO?

Answer 13

• EUROPEAN CLOTH MANUFACTURES USED A PLANT CALLED WOAD TO MAKE VIOLET AND BLUE DYES.
• INDIGO PRODUCED A RICH BLUE COLOR WHEREAS THE DYE FROM WOAD WAS PALE AND DULL.
  BUT INDIGO PRICE WAS VERY HIGH.

Question 14

1. THE FRENCH BEGAN CULTIVATING INDIGO IN_________.
2. PORTUGUESE IN _______.
3. ENGLISH IN________.
4. SPANISH IN_________.

Answer 14

1. FRENCH- ST DOMINIGUE IN CARIBBEAN ISLANDS.
2. PORTUGUESE IN BRAZIL.
3. ENGLISH IN JAMAICA.
4. SPANISH IN VENEZUELA.

Question 15

TERM BIGHA MEANS?

Answer 15

A UNIT OF MEASUREMENT OF LAND.
ONE THIRD OF ACRE.

Question 16

TWO MAIN SYSTEMS OF INDIGO CULTIVATION?

Answer 16

1. RYOTI
2. NIJ- THE PLANTER PRODUCED INDIGO IN LANDS THAT HE DIRECTLY CONTROLLED. HE EITHER BOUGHT THE LAND OR RENTED IT FROM OTHER ZAMIDARS AND PRODUCED INDIGO BY DIRECTLY EMPLOYING HIRED LABOURERS.

Question 17

PROBLEM WITH NIJ CULTIVATION?

Answer 17

1. PLANTERS FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO EXPAND THE AREA UNDER NIJ CULTIVATION.
2. INDIGO COULD BE CULTIVATED ONLY IN FERTILE LAND, AND THESE WERE ALL ALREADY DENSELY POPULATED.
3. ONLY SMALL PLOTS SCATTERED OVER THE LANDSCAPE COULD BE ACQUIRED. PLANTERS NEEDED LARGE AREAS IN COMPACT BLOCKS TO CULTIVATE INDIGO IN PLANTATIONS SO THEY ATTEMPTED TO LEASE IN THE LAND AROUND THE INDIGO FACTORY, AND EVICT THE PEASANTS FROM THE AREA. BUT THIS ALWAYS LED TO CONFLICTS AND TENSION.
4. NOR WAS LABOUR EASY TO MOBILISE. A LARGE PLANTATION REQUIRED A VAST NUMBER OF HANDS TO OPERATE. AND LABOUR WAS NEEDED PRECISELY AT A TIME WHEN PEASANTS WERE USUALLY BUSY WITH THEIR RICE CULTIVATION.
5. NIJ CULTIVATION ON LARGE SCALE ALSO REQUIRED MANY PLOUGHS AND BULLOCKS. ONE BIGHA OF INDIGO CULTIVATION REQUIRED TWO PLOUGHS. THIS MEANT THAT A PLANTER WITH 1,000 BIGHAS WOULD NEED 2,000 PLOUGHS. INVESTING ON PURCHASE AND MAINTENANCE OF PLOUGHS WAS A BIG PROBLEM. PLOUGHS AND BULLOCKS WERE BUSY ON THEIR RICE FIELDS.
   TILL THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, PLANTERS WERE THEREFORE RELUCTANT TO EXPAND THE AREA UNDER NIJ CULTIVATION. LESS THAN 25% OF THE LAND PRODUCING INDIGO WAS UNDER THIS SYSTEM. THE REST WAS UNDER AN ALTERNATIVE MODE OF CULTIVATION- THE RYOTI SYSTEM.

Question 18

PROBLEMS WITH THE RYOTI SYSTEM OF INDIGO CULTIVATION?

Answer 18

1. THE PLANTERS FORCED THE RYOTS TO SIGN A CONTRACT, AN AGREEMENT (SATTA).
2. AT TIMES THEY PRESSURIZED THE VILLAGE HEADMAN TO SIGN THE CONTRACT ON BEHALF OF THE RYOTS.
3. THOSE WHO SIGNED THE CONTRACT GOT CASH ADVANCES FROM THE PLANTERS AT LOW RATES OF INTEREST TO PRODUCE INDIGO.
4. THE LOAN COMMITTED THE RYOT TO CULTIVATING INDIGO ON AT LEAST 25% OF THE AREA UNDER HIS HOLDING.
5. THE PLANTER PROVIDED THE SEED AND THE DRILL, WHILE THE CULTIVATORS PREPARED THE SOIL, SOWED THE SEED AND LOOKED AFTER THE CROP.
6. WHEN THE CROP WAS DELIVERED TO THE PLANTER AFTER THE HARVEST, A NEW LOAN WAS GIVEN TO THE RYOT, AND THE CYCLE STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN.
   - OTHER PROBLEMS- THE PLANTERS USUALLY INSISTED THAT INDIGO BE CULTIVATED ON THE BEST SOILS IN WHICH PEASANTS PREFERRED TO CULTIVATE RICE. INDIGO, MOREOVER HAD DEEP ROOTS AND IT EXHAUSTED THE SOIL RAPIDLY. AFTER AN INDIGO HARVEST THE LAND COULD NOT BE SOWN WITH RICE.

Question 19

WHEN DID THE BLUE REBELLION OCCURRED?

Answer 19

IN MARCH 1859, THOUSANDS OF RYOTS IN BENGAL REFUSED TO GROW INDIGO. AS REBELLION SPREAD, RYOTS REFUSED TO PAY RENTS TO THE PLANTERS, AND ATTACKED INDIGO FACTORIES ARMED WITH SWORDS ETC.
- WOMEN TURNED UP TO FIGHT WITH POTS, PANS AND KITCHEN IMPLEMENTS.

Question 20

WHO WERE GOMASTHAS?

Answer 20

AGENTS OF THE PLANTERS WHO CAME TO COLLECT RENT.

Question 21

WHO WERE LATHIYALS?

Answer 21

LATHI-WIELDING STRONGMEN MAINTAINED BY THE PLANTERS.

Question 22

INDIGO REVOLT
1. IN 1859, THE INDIGO RYOTS FELT THAT THEY HAD THE SUPPORT OF THEIR LOCAL ZAMIDARS AND VILLAGE HEADMAN IN THEIR REBELLION AGAINST THE PLANTERS.
2. IN MANY VILLAGES, HEADMAN WHO HAD BEEN FORCED TO SIGN THE CONTRACTS, MOBILISED THE INDIGO PEASANTS AND FOUGHT PITCHED BATTLES WITH THE LATHIYALS.
TRUE/FALSE.

Answer 22

1. TRUE
2. TRUE.

Question 23

WHEN THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR TOURED THE REGION IN THE WINTER OF 1859 REGARDING INDIGO RIOTS. THE RYOTS SAW THE TOUR AS A SIGN OF GOVERNMENT SYMPATHY FOR THEIR PLIGHT. WHEN IN BARASAT, THE MAGISTRATE_________ ISSUED A NOTICE STATING THAT RYOTS WOULD NOT BE COMPELLED TO ACCEPT INDIGO CONTRACTS, WORD WENT AROUND THAT QUEEN VICTORIA HAD DECLARED THAT INDIGO NEED NOT TO BE SOWN.

Answer 23

ASHLEY EDEN.

Question 24

BRITISH GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO INDIGO COMMISSION?

Answer 24

1. THE GOVERNMENT BROUGHT IN THE MILITARY TO PROTECT THE PLANTERS FROM ASSAULT, AND SET UP THE INDIGO COMMISSION.
2. THE COMMISSION HELD THE PLANTERS GUILTY, AND CRITICIZED THEM FOR THE COERCIVE METHODS THEY USED WITH INDIGO CULTIVATORS.
3. IT DECLARED THAT INDIGO PRODUCTION WAS NOT PROFITABLE FOR RYOTS.
4. THE COMMISSION ASKED THE RYOTS TO FULFILL THEIR EXISTING CONTRACTS BUT ALSO TOLD THEM THAT THEY COULD REFUSE TO PRODUCE INDIGO IN FUTURE.

Question 25

AFTER INDIGO REVOLT, WHAT DID THE PLANTERS DID?

Answer 25

AFTER THE REVOLT, INDIGO PRODUCTION COLLAPSED IN BENGAL. BUT THE PLANTERS NOW SHIFTED THEIR OPERATION TO BIHAR. WITH THE DISCOVERY OF SYNTHETIC DYES IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY THEIR BUSINESS WAS SEVERELY AFFECTED, BUT YET THEY MANAGED TO EXPAND PRODUCTION.