Current set CAPF · 2009 Q55

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Q55 (CAPF/2009) History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › Peasant and tribal movements Answer Verified

The 'Motorana' and the ‘hathiana * referred to :

A

markets where peasants brought their produce

B

taxes levied by zamindars on their peasants

C

rent paid by peasants for the use of the motorcar or the elephant of the zamindar

D

the nickname for those zamindars who possessed a motorcar or an elephant

Result

Your answer: — · Correct: B

Explanation

The terms 'Motorana' and 'Hathiana' refer to illegal or customary taxes (abwabs) levied by zamindars on their peasants in colonial India. These levies were part of a broader system of exploitation where landlords extracted additional funds from the peasantry beyond the legal land revenue to finance their personal luxuries. Specifically, 'Motorana' was a tax collected to pay for the zamindar's new motorcar, while 'Hathiana' was collected for the purchase or maintenance of the zamindar's elephant [t1]. Such exactions were common in regions like Bihar and Bengal, where zamindars held extensive social and economic privileges [c2]. These oppressive demands often led to agrarian distress and the formation of peasant leagues to resist enhanced rents and illegal cesses [c3]. While the names derive from the use of these animals or vehicles, they were essentially arbitrary taxes imposed on the rural population [t1][t2].

Sources

[1] https://archive.org/stream/IndiaAfterGandhiByRamchandraGuha/India%20After%20Gandhi%20by%20Ramchandra%20Guha_djvu.txt
[2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State > 5. The Zamindars > p. 211
[3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 31: Peasant Movements 1857-1947 > Pabna Agrarian Leagues > p. 576

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