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Q53 (IAS/2011) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › Land revenue settlements Answer Verified

The tendency for increased litigation was visible after the introduction of the land settlement system of Lord Cornwallis in 179 3. The reason for this is normally traced to which of the following provisions.

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: D
Explanation

The Permanent Settlement of 1793, introduced by Lord Cornwallis, led to a surge in litigation primarily due to the removal of the Court Fee and the separation of the executive from the judiciary. While the system recognized zamindars as hereditary owners [4] and fixed revenue in perpetuity [5], it also introduced a complex legal framework where property rights and revenue liabilities were strictly defined by law [2]. The options provided (a, b, and c) describe structural features of the settlement—such as strengthening the zamindar's position [3], making the Company the overlord [4], or attempting to make the judicial system efficient—but none of these were the direct 'provision' that triggered the litigation boom. Historically, the abolition of court fees and the right of ryots to sue zamindars in civil courts (though difficult in practice) encouraged a flood of cases that the newly established colonial courts could not handle efficiently.

Sources

  1. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > 17.2 Land Tenures: Permanent Settlement and Ryotwari Settlement > p. 266
  2. [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 1. Abolition of Intermediaries > p. 25
  3. [1] Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > Lord Cornwallis, Governor General of Bengal (1786 – 1793) and the Permanent Settlement of Revenue Administration: > p. 190
  4. [5] https://www.lse.ac.uk/Economic-History/Assets/Documents/WorkingPapers/Economic-History/2023/WP355.pdf
  5. [2] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > 1. Zamindari System (Permanent Settlement) > p. 337
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Which of the following statements is/are correct about the working of the Permanent Settlement in Bengal? 1. The traditional Zamindars lost their lands. 2. The reason for the Zamindars’ inability to pay up land revenues was that the Ryots defaulted on payment of revenue. 3. A new group of farmers—the Jotedars—became influential. 4. The Collector replaced the Zamindars as the alternative focus of authority. Select the correct answer using the code given below.