Class 8 History – Chapter 3: Ruling the
Countryside (Detailed Notes in Q&A; Format)
Q1. What happened after the Battle of Buxar (1764)?
After the Battle of Buxar, the British East India Company gained 'Diwani Rights' of Bengal, Bihar,
and Orissa in 1765. This allowed the Company to collect revenue and administer the land. It
marked the beginning of British rule over the Indian countryside.
Q2. What were the main aims of the Company as Diwan?
• To collect maximum revenue for trade and army expenses.
• To send profit to England instead of using it for Indian welfare.
• To establish control over land and farmers.
Q3. Why did the British introduce new land revenue systems?
Because the Company needed a regular income. The traditional system was unorganized and
caused a great famine in 1770 that killed nearly 10 million people in Bengal. So, they introduced
new revenue systems to increase and stabilize income.
Q4. Explain the Permanent Settlement (1793).
• Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
• Zamindars were made owners of the land.
• They had to pay a fixed amount of revenue to the Company every year.
• If they failed, their land was taken away.
Results:
• Zamindars exploited peasants to collect revenue.
• Revenue fixed was too high.
• Many Zamindars lost land.
• Peasants became poor and burdened with debt.
Q5. What was the Ryotwari System?
• Introduced in Madras and Bombay by Thomas Munro.
• There were no Zamindars.
• The Company collected taxes directly from the Ryots (farmers).
• The rates were revised every 20–30 years based on fertility and crop quality.
Effects:
• Heavy taxes made farmers poor.
• Many lost their land due to inability to pay.
• It created insecurity and hardship for peasants.
Q6. What was the Mahalwari System?
• Introduced in the North-Western Provinces (U.P.) by Holt Mackenzie in 1822.
• The village (mahal) was treated as one unit for revenue collection.
• The village headman collected taxes on behalf of all farmers.
• Revenue demand could be revised periodically.
Countryside (Detailed Notes in Q&A; Format)
Q1. What happened after the Battle of Buxar (1764)?
After the Battle of Buxar, the British East India Company gained 'Diwani Rights' of Bengal, Bihar,
and Orissa in 1765. This allowed the Company to collect revenue and administer the land. It
marked the beginning of British rule over the Indian countryside.
Q2. What were the main aims of the Company as Diwan?
• To collect maximum revenue for trade and army expenses.
• To send profit to England instead of using it for Indian welfare.
• To establish control over land and farmers.
Q3. Why did the British introduce new land revenue systems?
Because the Company needed a regular income. The traditional system was unorganized and
caused a great famine in 1770 that killed nearly 10 million people in Bengal. So, they introduced
new revenue systems to increase and stabilize income.
Q4. Explain the Permanent Settlement (1793).
• Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa.
• Zamindars were made owners of the land.
• They had to pay a fixed amount of revenue to the Company every year.
• If they failed, their land was taken away.
Results:
• Zamindars exploited peasants to collect revenue.
• Revenue fixed was too high.
• Many Zamindars lost land.
• Peasants became poor and burdened with debt.
Q5. What was the Ryotwari System?
• Introduced in Madras and Bombay by Thomas Munro.
• There were no Zamindars.
• The Company collected taxes directly from the Ryots (farmers).
• The rates were revised every 20–30 years based on fertility and crop quality.
Effects:
• Heavy taxes made farmers poor.
• Many lost their land due to inability to pay.
• It created insecurity and hardship for peasants.
Q6. What was the Mahalwari System?
• Introduced in the North-Western Provinces (U.P.) by Holt Mackenzie in 1822.
• The village (mahal) was treated as one unit for revenue collection.
• The village headman collected taxes on behalf of all farmers.
• Revenue demand could be revised periodically.
