NCERT CLASS 8 HISTORY CHAPTER 3: RULING THE COUNTRYSIDE

 NCERT CLASS 8 HISTORY CHAPTER 3: RULING THE COUNTRYSIDE

3. Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.

The Permanent Settlement was an agreement between the British East India Company and the zamindars (landlords) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Its main features were:

• Fixed revenue: The zamindars were required to pay a fixed amount of revenue to the Company, which was set at 10/11th of the previous average revenue of their estates.
• Hereditary right: The zamindars were given the hereditary right to collect revenue from their estates in perpetuity, as long as they paid the fixed amount.
• No interference: The Company promised not to interfere in the internal affairs of the zamindars, and allowed them to manage their estates as they saw fit.

4. How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?

The mahalwari system was a method of revenue collection introduced by the British in some parts of India. It differed from the Permanent Settlement in the following ways:

• Revenue was not fixed: In the mahalwari system, the revenue was not fixed, but was based on the actual income of the land each year. The revenue was collected from each village as a whole, rather than from individual landlords.
• Joint responsibility: In the mahalwari system, the revenue was collected jointly from all the landlords in a village, rather than from a single zamindar.
• Redistribution of land: The mahalwari system allowed for the redistribution of land among the villagers, based on their ability to pay the revenue.

5. Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.

The Munro system was a new method of fixing revenue introduced in the Madras Presidency by Thomas Munro, the Governor of Madras. The two problems that arose with this system were:

• Over-assessment: The revenue was fixed based on the potential income of the land, rather than the actual income. This led to over-assessment, and the ryots (peasants) had to pay more than they could afford.
• Loss of cultivable land: In order to increase revenue, the government encouraged the landlords to convert more land to commercial crops like cotton and indigo. This led to a loss of cultivable land, which caused problems during famines.

6. Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?

Indigo was a cash crop that was in great demand in Europe for dyeing textiles. The British government and the East India Company encouraged the landlords to grow indigo on their lands, and forced the ryots to cultivate it. The ryots were reluctant to grow indigo for the following reasons:

• Low income: Indigo was a low-value crop, and the ryots had to sell it to the Company at a fixed price, which was often lower than the market price. This meant that they earned very little from growing indigo.
• Labour-intensive: Indigo cultivation required a lot of labour, which was a burden on the already overworked ryots.
• Soil depletion: Indigo was a demanding crop that depleted the soil of nutrients, making it less fertile for other crops.

7. What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?

The following were the circumstances that led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal:

• The indigo planters used oppressive methods to force the ryots to grow indigo on their lands. This caused resentment among the ryots, who were not able to grow their own crops and were forced to work for the planters.
• The prices offered by the planters for indigo were low and the ryots were not able to make a decent living from growing indigo.
• The planters often cheated the ryots by weighing the indigo wrongly or by mixing it with stones and sand. This led to further resentment among the ryots.
• The British government in India, under pressure from British public opinion, passed a law in 1860 which regulated the conditions of indigo cultivation. This law protected the rights of the ryots and made it difficult for the planters to continue their oppressive methods.
• The American Civil War (1861-1865) disrupted the supply of cotton from the United States, which led to an increase in demand for Indian cotton. This led to a shift away from indigo cultivation towards cotton and other cash crops.
• The rise of nationalism in India also contributed to the collapse of indigo production. Indian nationalists, led by figures like Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, encouraged the ryots to boycott indigo cultivation and to demand better conditions and fair prices for their crops.

As a result of these factors, indigo production in Bengal eventually collapsed and the planters were forced to switch to other crops.