Theme 10 Colonialism and countryside
Colonial rule was first established in Bengal. The English East India Company first attempted to reorder the rural
society and establish a new regime of land rights and land revenue system.
Auction in Burdwan due to default in payment of the revenue
In 1793,the Governor General Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Land revenue settlement
The English East India Company had fixed the revenue that Zamindars had to pay.
The estates of the zamindars who failed to pay the fixed revenue amount were auctioned.
The Raja of Burdwan failed to pay his due and his estates (mahals) were auctioned in 1797.
The British attempts to auction the estates of the zamindars failed.
The purchasers who bought the estates in the auctions were servants and agents of the raja.
They bought the estates for their raja. So, the estates remained under the control of the raja. Over 95 per
cent of the sale at the auction was fictitious.
Introduction of Permanent Land Revenue Settlement
Since the conquest of Bengal, the British officials were facing the problem in collecting the revenue.
They thought to develop agriculture, trade and the revenue resources of the state by encouraging
investment in agriculture.
They proposed to do this by securing rights of property and by fixing the revenue demand permanently.
Company officials thought that a fixed revenue demand ensure regular income.
But the problem was in identifying the person who could increase agricultural production and pay the fixed
amount of revenue to the state.
After prolonged debate the company decided to make the rajas and taluqdars of Bengal as their contractors
for purpose.
The rajas and taluqdars were called now as zamindars.The zamindars had to pay the revenue demand fixed
by the state.
Zamindars and their Functions
Under the Permanent settlement, the rajas and taluqdars were converted as zamindars.
In practice; the zamindar was not a landowner in the village, but a revenue collector of the state.
They had about 400 villages under their control. In the calculation of the company, one zamindari formed
one revenue estate.
The zamindar collected rent and paid the fixed amount and keep the excess as his income.
The zamindar collected rent from different villages. He was expected to pay the company on a regular base.
If he failed to pay the amount his estates were to be auctioned.
Prepared by Sujith K, HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor Kasargod Dist.
1
, Reasons for the failure of zamindars to pay the revenue demand
The zamindars failed to pay the fixed amount to the state because of the following reasons.
The initial demands were very high
The demands were made at a time of when the prices of agriculture produce were depressed and the ryots
were unable to pay their dues to the zamindars.
The revenue was invariable; regardless of the harvest. Even if the crops failed the revenue had to be paid
punctually.
The Sunset Law: According to this, if the revenue was not paid to the state by the sunset on a particular
day, the zamindari was auctioned.
Measures taken by the state to control the zamindars.
The company tried to control zamindars by taking some measures.
The state subdued their authority and restricted their autonomy.
The troops of the zamindars were disbanded, customs duties abolished
Their courts-‘cutcheries’ were brought under the supervision of a collector appointed by the company.
.The zamindars lost their power to organize local justice and the local police.
In course of time the collectorate emerged as powerful and restricted the power of zamindar.
In one case when raja failed to pay the revenue, a company official was sent to his zamindar to destroy
power and influence of the zamindar.
Problems faced by the zamindar during rent collection
An officer of the zamindar came around to the village at the time of revenue collection. The revenue
collection was a “perennial problem” for the zamindars.
At the time of bad harvest and low prices, it was difficult for the ryot to pay the rent.
At other times the ryots delayed the rent payment deliberately .Rich ryots and village headmen were happy
to trouble the zamindar.
The zamindars were unable to easily establish their power over them.
The zamindars had the authority to prosecute the defaulters, but the judicial process was long drawn.
According to sources in Burdwan alone some 30000 were pending related to the arrear payment in 1798.
Jotedars
According to the Survey of Francis Buchanan, in the Dinajpur district in North Bengal, the rich peasants
were known as jotedars.
They consolidated their position at the end of the 18th century while many zamindars faced crisis.
They had occupied a vast area of land and in some cases as much as several thousand acres.
They controlled the local trade activities and money lending and had more power over poor peasants.
Major part of their land was cultivated by the sharecroppers (adhiyars or bargadars).
The sharecroppers brought their own ploughs and gave their labour and half of the produce to the jotedars
after the harvest.
Prepared by Sujith K, HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor Kasargod Dist.
2
Colonial rule was first established in Bengal. The English East India Company first attempted to reorder the rural
society and establish a new regime of land rights and land revenue system.
Auction in Burdwan due to default in payment of the revenue
In 1793,the Governor General Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Land revenue settlement
The English East India Company had fixed the revenue that Zamindars had to pay.
The estates of the zamindars who failed to pay the fixed revenue amount were auctioned.
The Raja of Burdwan failed to pay his due and his estates (mahals) were auctioned in 1797.
The British attempts to auction the estates of the zamindars failed.
The purchasers who bought the estates in the auctions were servants and agents of the raja.
They bought the estates for their raja. So, the estates remained under the control of the raja. Over 95 per
cent of the sale at the auction was fictitious.
Introduction of Permanent Land Revenue Settlement
Since the conquest of Bengal, the British officials were facing the problem in collecting the revenue.
They thought to develop agriculture, trade and the revenue resources of the state by encouraging
investment in agriculture.
They proposed to do this by securing rights of property and by fixing the revenue demand permanently.
Company officials thought that a fixed revenue demand ensure regular income.
But the problem was in identifying the person who could increase agricultural production and pay the fixed
amount of revenue to the state.
After prolonged debate the company decided to make the rajas and taluqdars of Bengal as their contractors
for purpose.
The rajas and taluqdars were called now as zamindars.The zamindars had to pay the revenue demand fixed
by the state.
Zamindars and their Functions
Under the Permanent settlement, the rajas and taluqdars were converted as zamindars.
In practice; the zamindar was not a landowner in the village, but a revenue collector of the state.
They had about 400 villages under their control. In the calculation of the company, one zamindari formed
one revenue estate.
The zamindar collected rent and paid the fixed amount and keep the excess as his income.
The zamindar collected rent from different villages. He was expected to pay the company on a regular base.
If he failed to pay the amount his estates were to be auctioned.
Prepared by Sujith K, HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor Kasargod Dist.
1
, Reasons for the failure of zamindars to pay the revenue demand
The zamindars failed to pay the fixed amount to the state because of the following reasons.
The initial demands were very high
The demands were made at a time of when the prices of agriculture produce were depressed and the ryots
were unable to pay their dues to the zamindars.
The revenue was invariable; regardless of the harvest. Even if the crops failed the revenue had to be paid
punctually.
The Sunset Law: According to this, if the revenue was not paid to the state by the sunset on a particular
day, the zamindari was auctioned.
Measures taken by the state to control the zamindars.
The company tried to control zamindars by taking some measures.
The state subdued their authority and restricted their autonomy.
The troops of the zamindars were disbanded, customs duties abolished
Their courts-‘cutcheries’ were brought under the supervision of a collector appointed by the company.
.The zamindars lost their power to organize local justice and the local police.
In course of time the collectorate emerged as powerful and restricted the power of zamindar.
In one case when raja failed to pay the revenue, a company official was sent to his zamindar to destroy
power and influence of the zamindar.
Problems faced by the zamindar during rent collection
An officer of the zamindar came around to the village at the time of revenue collection. The revenue
collection was a “perennial problem” for the zamindars.
At the time of bad harvest and low prices, it was difficult for the ryot to pay the rent.
At other times the ryots delayed the rent payment deliberately .Rich ryots and village headmen were happy
to trouble the zamindar.
The zamindars were unable to easily establish their power over them.
The zamindars had the authority to prosecute the defaulters, but the judicial process was long drawn.
According to sources in Burdwan alone some 30000 were pending related to the arrear payment in 1798.
Jotedars
According to the Survey of Francis Buchanan, in the Dinajpur district in North Bengal, the rich peasants
were known as jotedars.
They consolidated their position at the end of the 18th century while many zamindars faced crisis.
They had occupied a vast area of land and in some cases as much as several thousand acres.
They controlled the local trade activities and money lending and had more power over poor peasants.
Major part of their land was cultivated by the sharecroppers (adhiyars or bargadars).
The sharecroppers brought their own ploughs and gave their labour and half of the produce to the jotedars
after the harvest.
Prepared by Sujith K, HSST History GVHSS Kayyoor Kasargod Dist.
2
