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Q57 (IAS/2024) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › Land revenue settlements Official Key

With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements : 1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities. 2. Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result

Your answer: — · Correct: B

Explanation

The correct answer is option B because only statement 2 is correct.

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** The Ryotwari Settlement was not introduced by Cornwallis but later by Thomas Munro in Madras and other regions. Cornwallis implemented the Permanent Settlement in Bengal (1793). Moreover, under revenue systems including later ryotwari arrangements, peasants were generally not exempted from payment during bad harvests.

**Statement 2 is correct:** Under the Sunset Law in the Permanent Settlement, if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be[1] auctioned. The zamindar had to pay his revenue rigidly on the due date even if the crop had failed for some reason; otherwise his lands were to be sold.[2] This meant the zamindar would be removed from his zamindari for non-payment by the fixed date.

Therefore, only statement 2 is correct, making option B the right answer.

Sources

[1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 1.3 Why zamindars defaulted on payments > p. 230
[2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > Land Revenue Policy > p. 103

How others answered

Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.

Community Performance

Out of everyone who attempted this question.

56%

got it right

PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN

Full view

Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.

Q. With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements : 1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue coll…

At a glance

Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 0/10

This question is a classic 'Nature of Colonial Rule' test. Statement 2 is a direct lift from NCERT (The Sunset Law), while Statement 1 tests your understanding of British fiscal rigidity. The British revenue systems were designed for maximum extraction, not welfare; assuming 'exemptions' existed without specific proof is a trap. Trust the 'Colonial Greed' logic over benevolent assumptions.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1: In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Ryotwari Settlement were peasants (ryots) exempted from revenue payment in years of bad harvests or natural calamities?
Statement 2: In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal would a zamindar be removed from his zamindari if he failed to pay the fixed revenue to the state by the due date?

Statement 1

In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Ryotwari Settlement were peasants (ryots) exempted from revenue payment in years of bad harvests or natural calamities?

Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy

Indirect textbook clues

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 1.3 Why zamindars defaulted on payments > p. 230

Strength: 5/5

“Ryot is the way the term raiyat, used to designate peasants (Chapter 8), was spelt in British records. Ryots in Bengal did not always cultivate the land directly, but leased it out to under-ryots. demand high, arguing that the burden on zamindars would gradually decline as agricultural production expanded and prices rose. Second: this high demand was imposed in the 1790s, a time when the prices of agricultural produce were depressed, making it difficult for the ryots to pay their dues to the zamindar. If the zamindar could not collect the rent, how could he pay the Company? Third: the revenue was invariable, regardless of the harvest, and had to be paid punctually.”

Why relevant

States that the revenue was invariable, regardless of the harvest, and had to be paid punctually — a general rule about revenue demand.

How to extend

A student could combine this with basic logic that an invariable demand implies little scope for automatic exemption in bad years, so investigate whether relief clauses existed.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 3.3 Revenue demand and peasant debt > p. 248

Strength: 5/5

“The first revenue settlement in the Bombay Deccan was made in the 1820s. The revenue that was demanded was so high that in many places peasants deserted their villages and migrated to new regions. In areas of poor soil and fluctuating rainfall the problem was particularly acute. When rains failed and harvests were poor, peasants found it impossible to pay the revenue. However, the collectors in charge of revenue collection were keen on demonstrating their efficiency and pleasing their superiors. So they went about extracting payment with utmost severity. When someone failed to pay, his crops were seized and a fine was imposed on the whole village.”

Why relevant

Describes that when rains failed and harvests were poor, peasants could not pay and collectors still extracted payment severely (seizing crops, fines).

How to extend

Use this example to infer that on-the-ground practice may have allowed little leniency, prompting enquiry into formal exemption rules under different settlements.

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

Strength: 4/5

“Since the earlier system introduced by Hastings proved defective for the peasants and the Company both, Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha in 1793 which continued in India till India achieved its freedom. Its chief aim was to impart stability to the revenue system. He did exhaustive survey of the past records and on the basis of past 10 years, he fixed how much revenue can be collected from the entire land and fixed the amount to be collected for future years.”

Why relevant

Explains Cornwallis's Permanent Settlement fixed revenue for future years based on past records (past 10 years) — a pattern of fixing demand.

How to extend

If revenue was fixed in perpetuity, a student could reason that fixed demands are less likely to include periodic exemptions for bad harvests and should check distinctions between Permanent and Ryotwari systems.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > II. Ryotwari System > p. 337

Strength: 4/5

“• In 1820, Sir Thomas Munro and Captain Alexander Reed introduced the Ryotwari System.• Scientific Rent theory of Ricardo was the fundamental basis of Ryotwari System.• This system had many features of the revenue system of Mughals in which the revenue ô was directly collected by the British from the peasants (also called Raiyats).• Under the Ryotwari System, rate of revenue imposed was 50 per cent for dry lands and 60 per cent for irrigated lands”

Why relevant

Defines the Ryotwari System as direct collection from peasants with high specified rates (50–60%), showing the burden was placed on individual cultivators.

How to extend

Knowing ryots were direct taxpayers, a student could test whether direct taxation systems provided formal relief mechanisms in calamity years compared with intermediary-based systems.

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

Strength: 3/5

“In districts where mirasi rights existed, the mirasdar was made responsible for the rent collections. In districts where the mirasi rights did not exist, an arrangement was made with the village headman. This system failed due to various reasons such as bad monsoons, low price of grains and the short period of lease. By 1814 the Court of Directors had decided to introduce the ryotwari system. This was a system formulated by Governor Thomas Munro. Under this system the ryot, an Anglicization by the British in India of the Arabic word ra'iyah, meaning a peasant or cultivator, was the proprietor and tax payer of the land.”

Why relevant

States the ryot was made proprietor and tax payer under the Ryotwari system — clarifies who bore the legal liability for revenue.

How to extend

Combine this with the idea of fixed demands to hypothesize that proprietorship plus fixed liability might reduce the likelihood of statutory exemption in famine years; then seek primary rules or examples.

Statement 2

In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal would a zamindar be removed from his zamindari if he failed to pay the fixed revenue to the state by the due date?

Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable

From standard books

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 1.3 Why zamindars defaulted on payments > p. 230

Presence: 5/5

“In fact, according to the Sunset Law, if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned. Fourth: the Permanent Settlement initially limited the power of the zamindar to collect rent from the ryot and manage his zamindari. The Company had recognised the zamindars as important, but it wanted to control and regulate them, subdue their authority and restrict their autonomy. The zamindars' troops were disbanded, customs duties abolished, and their "cutcheries" (courts) brought under the supervision of a Collector appointed by the Company. Zamindars lost their power to organise local justice and the local police.”

Why this source?

Explicitly names the Sunset Law making a zamindari liable to be auctioned if payment did not arrive by sunset of the specified date
Directly links failure to pay by the due date with loss/removal of the zamindari through auction

Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > Land Revenue Policy > p. 103

Presence: 5/5

“He would keep the entire amount of the increase. The state would not make any further demand upon him. At the same time, the zamindar had to pay his revenue rigidly on the due date even if the crop had failed for some reason; otherwise his lands were to be sold. The initial fixation of revenue was made arbitrarily and without any consultation with the zamindars. The attempt of the officials was to secure the maximum amount. As a result, the rates of revenue were fixed very high It was later generally admitted by officials and non-officials alike that before 1793 the zamindars of Bengal and Bihar did not enjoy proprietary rights over most of the land.”

Why this source?

Requires the zamindar to pay revenue rigidly on the due date even if crops failed
States that failure to pay would result in his lands being sold

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > p. 229

Presence: 3/5

“After a prolonged debate amongst Company officials, the Permanent Settlement was made with the rajas and taluqdars of Bengal. They were now classified as zamindars, and they had to pay the revenue demand that was fixed in perpetuity. In terms of this definition, the zamindar was not a landowner in the village, but a revenue Collector of the state. Zamindars had several (sometimes as many as 400) villages under them. In Company calculations the villages within one zamindari formed one revenue estate. The Company fixed the total demand over the entire estate whose revenue the zamindar contracted to pay. The zamindar collected rent from the different villages, paid the revenue to the Company, and retained the difference as his income.”

Why this source?

Defines the zamindar's contractual obligation to pay a fixed, perpetual revenue to the Company
Establishes the administrative relationship that makes non-payment a breach of the revenue contract

Pattern takeaway: UPSC is moving beyond 'Who started it?' to 'How did it function?'. They are testing the operational rules (Sunset Law, exemptions) found in the deeper paragraphs of NCERT Themes in Indian History. Focus on the mechanics of administration.

How you should have studied

[THE VERDICT]: Sitter/Logical Trap. Statement 2 is a direct keyword match ('Sunset Law') from NCERT Themes Part III. Statement 1 is false by historical logic (British rigidity).
[THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: British Land Revenue Systems (Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari). Specifically, the administrative enforcement mechanisms.
[THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Enforcers': Sunset Law (1793, Bengal), Fifth Report (1813, critique of EIC), Deccan Riots Commission (1878, Ryotwari distress). Know the architects: Cornwallis (Permanent), Munro/Reed (Ryotwari), Holt Mackenzie (Mahalwari).
[THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When reading history, don't just memorize the 'Start Date'. Memorize the 'Pain Point'. What happened if they didn't pay? (Auction/Eviction). The 'Sunset Law' is the defining feature of the Permanent Settlement's cruelty—if you missed this term in NCERT, you are reading too passively.

Concept hooks from this question

📌 Adjacent topic to master

👉 Cornwallis and the Permanent (fixed) revenue settlement

💡 The insight

Cornwallis introduced a permanent settlement that fixed land revenue for future years rather than varying it with annual harvests.

High-yield for UPSC: explains the institutional basis of colonial agrarian policy and its long-term impact on zamindars and peasantry; links to topics on land tenure, peasant distress, and colonial economic objectives. Mastery allows candidates to answer questions contrasting colonial revenue systems and to analyse causes of rural unrest.

📚 Reading List :

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
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > Land Revenue Policy > p. 102

🔗 Anchor: "In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Ryotwari Settlement were peasants..."

📌 Adjacent topic to master

👉 Invariable revenue and lack of relief in bad harvests

💡 The insight

Revenue demands were invariable and had to be paid punctually, even when harvests failed.

Crucial for explaining peasant indebtedness, migration and resistance movements; connects revenue policy to socioeconomic consequences and legal-administrative practices of revenue extraction. Useful for answering causation and impact questions on rural distress under colonial rule.

📚 Reading List :

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 1.3 Why zamindars defaulted on payments > p. 230
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 3.3 Revenue demand and peasant debt > p. 248

🔗 Anchor: "In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Ryotwari Settlement were peasants..."

📌 Adjacent topic to master

👉 Ryotwari system: direct collection from cultivators

💡 The insight

Ryotwari involved direct assessment and collection from ryots, with specified rates and the ryot recognized as the payer/proprietor in some descriptions.

Important to differentiate land revenue regimes (Ryotwari vs Permanent/Zamindari/Mahalwari) — a frequent UPSC theme; helps tackle comparative questions and explains variations in local peasant experience under different systems.

📚 Reading List :

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 10: Land Reforms in India > II. Ryotwari System > p. 337
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

🔗 Anchor: "In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Ryotwari Settlement were peasants..."

📌 Adjacent topic to master

👉 Sunset Law and auction of zamindari

💡 The insight

Sunset Law made non-payment by the specified deadline trigger auction or removal of the zamindar.

High-yield for questions on enforcement mechanisms of colonial revenue policy; helps explain legal tools used to discipline landlords and link fiscal policy to land dispossession and agrarian distress. Connects to topics on land tenure, peasant vulnerability, and later abolition/land reform debates.

📚 Reading List :

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 1.3 Why zamindars defaulted on payments > p. 230
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > Land Revenue Policy > p. 103

🔗 Anchor: "In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal wo..."

📌 Adjacent topic to master

👉 Permanent Settlement: fixed revenue in perpetuity

💡 The insight

Permanent Settlement fixed the zamindar's revenue liability in perpetuity, making timely payment mandatory regardless of crop failure.

Core concept for questions on colonial land revenue systems and their economic effects; explains why zamindars faced rigid fiscal pressure and informs analyses of exploitation, peasant distress, and incentives for revenue maximization. Links to wider themes of colonial economic policy and agrarian change.

📚 Reading List :

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > p. 229
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > Land Revenue Policy > p. 103

🔗 Anchor: "In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal wo..."

📌 Adjacent topic to master

👉 Zamindar transformed from collector to hereditary landlord

💡 The insight

Permanent Settlement converted revenue collectors into hereditary landlords responsible for paying the state's fixed demand.

Important for understanding social and administrative restructuring under colonial rule; enables answers on changes in property rights, power relations in the countryside, and the genesis of the zamindari class and its eventual abolition. Connects to land reform and rural social history questions.

📚 Reading List :

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > p. 229
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > Land Revenue Policy > p. 102
Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 5: Land Reforms > Features: > p. 191

🔗 Anchor: "In revenue collection by Cornwallis, under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal wo..."

🌑 The Hidden Trap

The 'Fifth Report' (1813). It appears in the same NCERT chapter as the Sunset Law. It was a parliamentary report critical of the East India Company's administration in Bengal. UPSC loves asking about official reports mentioned in NCERT.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

The 'Benevolent Colonizer' Trap. Statement 1 implies the British voluntarily exempted peasants during bad harvests. Historically, the British system was criticized precisely for its rigidity (unlike the flexible Mughal system). Any statement implying British administrative benevolence in revenue collection is likely FALSE. Also, logically, Cornwallis (Preamble) is associated with Permanent Settlement, not Ryotwari—this mismatch alone makes Statement 1 suspicious.

🔗 Mains Connection

Link this to GS1 (Society) and GS3 (Agriculture). The 'Sunset Law' created a class of absentee landlords and fragmented land ownership, the legacy of which (landlessness, lack of capital investment) plagues Indian agriculture today.

Question map

Explanation

PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

With reference to Ryotwari Settlement, consider the following statements: 1. The rent was paid directly by the peasants to the Government 2. The Government gave Pattas to the Ryots 3. The lands were surveyed and assessed before being taxed. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which of the following statements about Ryotwari system is/are correct ? 1. The govememnt collected the revenue directly from the individual cultivators 2. The cultivators were not recognized in law as the owners of the land Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which one of the following statements with regard to ryotwari settlement is not correct ?