RULING FROM THE COUNTRY SIDE

Question 1

When did the Mughal emperor appoint the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal?

Answer 1

On 12 August 1765.

Question 3

When did the Mughal emperor appoint the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal?

Answer 3

On 12 August 1765.

Question 4

Who commissioned the painting of the Diwani grant event?

Answer 4

Robert Clive.

Question 5

What was the primary goal of the East India Company after becoming Diwan?

Answer 5

To increase revenue and buy goods at low prices.

Question 6

How did the Company finance its trade after 1765?

Answer 6

By using revenue collected from Bengal instead of importing gold and silver from Britain.

Question 7

What was the impact of Company policies on artisans in Bengal?

Answer 7

Artisans deserted villages as they were forced to sell goods at low prices.

Question 8

What major disaster struck Bengal in 1770?

Answer 8

A famine that killed about ten million people.

Question 9

What was the significance of the Diwani grant to the East India Company?

Answer 9

The grant made the Company the chief financial administrator of Bengal, giving it control over revenue collection and land administration, which helped finance its growing trade.

Question 10

How did the Company balance its role as an alien power in Bengal?

Answer 10

It controlled local power holders without eliminating them to maintain stability and avoid rebellion.

Question 11

How did the Company’s revenue policies impact Bengal’s economy?

Answer 11

The Company prioritized revenue extraction over economic stability, leading to increased burdens on peasants and artisans, which caused economic distress and a decline in production.

Question 12

How did the East India Company change its trade financing after 1765?

Answer 12

Before 1765, the Company imported gold and silver from Britain to buy Indian goods. After becoming Diwan, it used Bengal’s revenue for purchases, doubling its trade volume within five years.

Question 13

What led to the economic crisis in Bengal under British rule?

Answer 13

Heavy taxation, forced low-price sales for artisans, declining agriculture, and exploitative Company policies led to an economic downturn.

Question 14

What were the consequences of the 1770 Bengal famine?

Answer 14

The famine killed nearly one-third of Bengal’s population, exacerbating economic distress and further weakening the region’s economy.

Question 15

Why did artisans leave villages under Company rule?

Imagine you are an artisan in Bengal in the 1760s. How would you react to the Company’s policies?

Answer 15

They were forced to sell goods at low prices, reducing their earnings and making their craft unsustainable.

The decline of artisanal production weakened Bengal’s economy and traditional industries.

Question 16

You are a peasant in Bengal in 1770. What challenges would you face unde

How did the Company’s revenue policies affect peasants?

Answer 16

High revenue demands left peasants unable to pay taxes, leading to distress and worsening famine conditions.

The lack of agricultural support from the British contributed to the 1770 famine disaster.

Question 17

Why did the Company prioritize revenue extraction over local welfare?

You are a British official in 1765. How would you justify the revenue policies of the East India Company?

Answer 17

It needed funds to sustain its trade and meet rising administrative costs.

This short-sighted policy ultimately led to economic collapse and famine.

Question 18

When was the Permanent Settlement introduced?

Answer 18

In 1793.

Question 19

What was the key feature of the Permanent Settlement?

Answer 19

The revenue to be paid by zamindars was fixed permanently.

Question 20

Why did the Permanent Settlement fail?

Answer 20

High revenue demands made it difficult for zamindars to pay, leading to land auctions.

Question 21

What system replaced the Permanent Settlement in some regions?

Answer 21

The Mahalwari Settlement.

Question 22

Who introduced the Mahalwari system?

Answer 22

Holt Mackenzie in 1822.

Question 23

Who was responsible for collecting revenue under the Mahalwari system?

Answer 23

The village headman.

Question 24

What were the objectives of the Permanent Settlement of 1793?

Answer 24

The Company wanted a stable revenue income and hoped that fixing revenue permanently would encourage zamindars to invest in land improvement.

Question 25

Why did the Permanent Settlement create problems for the zamindars?

Answer 25

The fixed revenue was set too high, making it difficult for zamindars to pay. Many lost their land at auctions when they failed to meet payments.

Question 26

How did the Permanent Settlement affect cultivators?

Answer 26

Cultivators had to pay high rents to zamindars, often taking loans from moneylenders. If they failed to pay, they were evicted from their lands.

Question 27

Why did the British introduce the Mahalwari system?

Answer 27

The Company realized that fixing revenue permanently was impractical. The new system allowed periodic revenue revisions to match economic changes.

Question 28

What was the process of revenue assessment under the Mahalwari system?

Answer 28

Officials inspected land, measured fields, and recorded rights before estimating the village's total revenue, which was collected by the village headman.

Question 29

How did the Mahalwari system differ from the Permanent Settlement?

Answer 29

The Mahalwari system revised revenue periodically, while the Permanent Settlement fixed it permanently. Also, village headmen, not zamindars, collected revenue.

Question 30

# What challenges did zamindars face under the Permanent Settlement? Imagine you are a zamindar under the Permanent Settlement. How would you deal with the high revenue demand?

Answer 30

What challenges did zamindars face under the Permanent Settlement? ## Footnote Many struggled to pay fixed revenues and lost their land at auctions, while others avoided investment in land improvement.

Question 31

# How did the Mahalwari system impact cultivators? You are a peasant in a village under the Mahalwari system. How does the new revenue system affect your life?

Answer 31

Revenue was revised periodically, but village headmen still collected taxes, which could sometimes be unfair. ## Footnote Revenue was revised periodically, but village headmen still collected taxes, which could sometimes be unfair.

Question 32

# Why was the Permanent Settlement seen as a failure by the British? You are a British official in the early 1800s. Why would you support replacing the Permanent Settlement?

Answer 32

t fixed revenue permanently, preventing the Company from increasing income when agricultural output rose.

Question 33

What was the revenue system introduced in southern British territories?

Answer 33

The Ryotwari system.

Question 34

Who introduced the Ryotwari system?

Answer 34

Captain Alexander Read and Thomas Munro.

Question 35

How was the Ryotwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?

Answer 35

It directly taxed individual cultivators (ryots) instead of zamindars

Question 36

Why did the Ryotwari system fail?

Answer 36

High revenue demands led to peasants fleeing, and villages became deserted.

Question 37

Why did British officials like Munro prefer the Ryotwari system in South India?

Answer 37

They believed that, unlike in Bengal, South India lacked traditional zamindars, so revenue collection should be done directly from cultivators (ryots).

Question 38

What steps were taken to implement the Ryotwari system?

Answer 38

Fields were carefully surveyed, and each ryot was assessed separately for tax payment.

Question 39

How did British officials view their role under the Ryotwari system?

Answer 39

Thomas Munro saw the British as paternal figures, responsible for protecting the ryots.

Question 40

What was the unintended consequence of the Ryotwari system?

Answer 40

High revenue demands forced many peasants to flee, leading to deserted villages.

Question 41

# Imagine being a ryot in South India. How did the Ryotwari system affect peasants compared to the Permanent Settlement?

Answer 41

The Ryotwari system taxed peasants (ryots) directly, unlike the Permanent Settlement, which used zamindars. High revenue demands led to debt and desertion of villages, worsening peasant hardships. ## Footnote Introduced by Read and Munro, the Ryotwari system aimed to empower peasants but led to heavy taxation and distress.

Question 42

Why did the British encourage cash crop cultivation in India?

Answer 42

To meet the demand for raw materials in European industries.

Question 43

Which crops did the British promote in different regions of India?

Answer 43

Indigo in Bengal, tea in Assam, cotton in Maharashtra, sugarcane in UP, wheat in Punjab, and rice in Madras.

Question 44

Why was indigo in high demand in Europe?

Answer 44

It produced a rich blue dye preferred by European cloth manufacturers.🤫🧏‍♂️

Question 45

What plant was used in Europe before indigo?

Answer 45

Woad, but it produced a dull blue color.

Question 46

Why did European governments initially ban indigo imports?

Answer 46

To protect local woad farmers from competition.

Question 47

Why did the ban on indigo imports get lifted?

Answer 47

Cloth dyers preferred indigo over woad for its richer color.

Question 48

Why did Britain turn to India for indigo?

Answer 48

Supplies from the West Indies and America collapsed.

Question 49

How much of Britain’s indigo imports came from India by 1810?

Answer 49

95% of Britain’s imported indigo was from India.

Question 50

How did the British expand indigo cultivation in India?

Answer 50

They provided loans to planters and forced farmers to grow it.

Question 51

Why did Company officials invest in the indigo trade?

Answer 51

it was highly profitable.

Question 52

What was the impact of indigo cultivation on Indian farmers?

Answer 52

Farmers were forced to grow indigo instead of food crops, leading to debt and poverty.

Question 53

How did the British ensure a steady supply of indigo?

Answer 53

By forcing peasants to cultivate it under unfair contracts.