COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE

 CLASS-12

THEME 10

COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE

1.When was the permanent settlement introduced in Bengal?

Ans.1793 by the Charles Cornwallis

2.To whom were the zamindars assigned the task of collecting revenue in the villages?

Ans.Amlah

3.Who were the gantidars or mandals?

Ans.Rich peasants or jotedars.

4.When permanent settlement was introduced, who was the Raja of Burdwan at that time?

Ans.Tejchand.

5.Buchanan travelled through the Rajmahal hills In the winter of 1810-11. (true/false)

Ans.True

6.The land grant to the Santhals at least one tenth of the area was to be cleared and cultivated within the first 12 years. (true/false)

Ans.False

7.The Deccan revolt began in----------- a large village in Poona district.

Ans.False

8.When did the 5th report published in the parliament?

Ans.1813

9.Which committee presented the 5th report in the British Parliament?

Ans.Select Committee

10.Who was Francis Buchanan

Ans.He was a Physician who came to India and served in Bengal Medical Services, he was a surgeon to the Governor General of India Lord Wellsley,set up a Calcutta Alipore Zoo andwas in-charge of Botanical Garden

11.Name the collector who was appointed for the pacification for Paharias people.?

Ans.By the 1780s, Augustus Cleveland, the Collector of Bhagalpur, proposed a policy of pacification.

12.What was the Damin I Koh

Ans.By 1832 a large area of land was demarcated as Damin-i-Koh. This was declared to be the land of the Santhals.

13.When did the Santhal Rebellion take place?

Ans.1855-56

14.Which of the new districts was created for the Santhal for conciliated to them

Ans.The Santhal Pargana was created, carving out 5,500 square miles from the districts of Bhagalpur and Birbhum.

15.Which person has the picture in the given figure number 1 and whom he belonged?

Ans.Sidhu Manjhi, the leader of the Santhal rebellion

16.Which painter was painted given figure no. 2? What did the painter want to show in this picture?

Ans.William Hodge The picture represents relationship between tribal people and nature. Hodges 

emphasises hills inaccessibility.

17.Identify this picture and name it?

18. What was Damin-i-Koh? Why did Santhals resist against British during eighteenth century? 

Give three reasons.

1.By 1832, large area of land was demarcated as Damin-i-Koh, in the foothills of Rajmahal and it 

was declared as the land of the Santhals. 

2.They were to practice plough agriculture and become settled peasants. 

3.The Santhals soon found that they are losing their lands, the State was taxing them heavily. 

4. Moneylenders were charging them high rates of interest and taking over the land when debts were 

not paid and Zamindars were taking control of the Damin area.

5. Hence, by 1850s, the Santhals felt that the time had come to rebel against the Zamindars, 

Moneylenders and the Colonial State in order to create an ideal rule for themselves.

19.Who were the Hill Folk? Why were they so apprehensive of Buchanan’s visit to Rajmahal Hills 

in the 19th century? Explain.

1.The Paharias were known as the Hill Folk. They lived in the vicinity of the Rajmahal Hills. 

2. They earned their livelihood from the forest produce and also practised shifting cultivation. 

3. Buchanan reached the Rajmahal Hills in the early 19th century. He found those Hills as 

impenetrable. 

4.They posed a great risk and danger to the travellers. 

5. Buchanan also found the Hilly people as hostile, apprehensive and not willing to talk to any 

traveller. 

6. In fact, all the Paharias looked at him with suspicion and distrust. When he arrived at a village with 

his army of people, he was immediately perceived as an Agent of the Sarkar, i.e., the British 

Government.

20.“By the 1850s, the Santhals felt that the time had come to rebel against Zamindars, 

Moneylenders and the Colonial State.” Identify aspects related to the statement.

Ans. The Santhals rose up in rebellion against the British rule

1. The Santhals settled on the peripheries of the Rajmahal Hill and started cultivating a range of 

commercial crops for the market, and dealing with traders and moneylenders according to permanent 

settlement.

2. The Santhals found that the land they had brought under cultivation was slipping away from their 

hands due to Britishers.

3. The State was levying heavy taxes on the land that the Santhals had cleared, moneylenders (dikus) 

were charging them high rates of interest and taking over the land when debts remained unpaid, and 

Zamindars were asserting control over the Damin area.

4. By the 1850s, the Santhals felt that the time had come to rebel against Zamindars, Moneylenders 

and the Colonial State, to create an ideal world for themselves where they would rule.

5. It was after the Santhal Revolt (1855-56) that the Santhal Pargana was created. The Colonial State 

hoped that by creating a new territory for the Santhals and imposing some special laws, the Santhalscould be conciliated

21.Explain how far East India Company subdued the authority of Zamindars in Bengal during 

18th century.

OR

“The East India Company had recognised the Zamindars’ importance but wanted to control 

and regulate them.” Explain the steps taken by them to subdue their authority in the 18th 

century.

1. Though the East India Company had recognised the Zamindars, yet it wanted to control and 

regulate them. 

2. The Company subdued the Zamindars’ authority and restricted their power. 

3. The troops of the Zamindars were disbanded by the Company and custom duties were 

abolished. 

4. Their cutcheries (courts) were brought under the supervision of a collector appointed by the 

East India Company. 

5. Subsequently, the Zamindars lost their authority to organize local justice and local police. 

6. Now, the collectorate emerged as an alternative centre of power and the authority of the 

Zamindars was severely reduced. Also, the Permanent Settlement initially limited the power 

of the Zamindar to collect rent from the Ryot.

1.Why was jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal ?

Ans.Jotedars were rich peasants in Bengal. They owned big plots of land sometimes 

running into thousand of acres of land. They controlled local trade and commerce 

including the money lending business. They had great influence on the local village

population. They were regarded more powerful than the Zamindars even. Following 

are the main reasons for the high status of Jotedars.

1. The Jotedars controlled trade and commerce including money lending business at 

the local level.

2. In order to weaken the Zamindars, Jotedars would mobilise ryots not to pay or 

delay payment towards land revenue.

3. The Jotedars opposed the moves of Zamindars to increase the Jama of a village.

4. The Jotedars lived in villages only. Hence they were in a better position to interact 

with and influence the peasants.

5. Jotedars were rich and owned big areas of land under cultivation. Many a time they 

would buy estates of Zamindar. That would be auctioned due to failure to pay up land 

revenue.

2.Why did the zamindars unable to pay the revenue to the East India Company? OR

Why did the zaminndar defaulted to pay the revenue?

1.First, The rate of revenue was very high and was fixed. The East India Company had 

thought that it would never be able to claim a share in the increased income from land if at 

any stage, the prices rose and the cultivation expanded. The Company also argued that the 

burden on the Zamindars would slowly come down with increase in agricultural production 

and the prices of agricultural produces.

2. Second, The amount of revenue was fixed during the period of economic depression. The 

Ryots found it difficult to pay their dues to the Zamindars. As such the Zamindars were 

unable to pay the revenue to the East India Company.

3.Third, Since the revenue was fixed and had to be paid punctually even if the harvest was 

not good, there was the enforcement of Sunset law. If any Zamindar did not make the 

payment before the sunset on the specific day, his Estate was auctioned.

4.Fourth, The Permanent Settlement had reduced the power of the Zamindars to collect rentfrom Ryot.

3.How did Zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?

Ans.When zamindars were in bad times, they often resorted to various tactics to maintain 

control over their zamindari. These were in fact their survival tactics. Following are 

the important ones.

1. Zamindars created fictitious sales during auction. Their own men would 

makehighest bid and later refused to pay up. After repeating this exercise for couple 

of occasions, the government would be tired and sell it back to zamindar at lesser 

rate.

2. A part of Estate was often transferred to female members of the family, and that 

part of property could not be taken by the government any more.

3. Zamindars put hurdle in purchase and occupation of the estate by others by use of 

sheer muscle power.

4. Sometimes even peasants under the influence of zamindars opposed auction of 

estate

MAP WORK: