NCERT Solutions For Class 12 History Chapter 9

Colonialism and the Countryside: Exploring Official

Archives

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED

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

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

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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.
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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. How did zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?

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Ans: The zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris in the following
manners :

1. Fictitious sale : It involved series of manoeuvres. For example, Raja of Burdwan, first
transferred some of his zamindari to his mother because the company had decreed that
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property of women would not be taken over by the company. Secondly, his agents
manipulated the auctions by buying the property, outbidding other purchasers.
Subsequently, they refused to pay up the purchase money. As a result of it, the Estate was
again resold at auction. But as the zamindar’s agents used to purchase it again and again,
and did not pay the purchase amount, the auctions were repeated endlessly. Ultimately,
the estate was sold at a lower price back to the zamindars, who never paid the full revenue
demand. Such transactions took place on a large scale in Bengal including Burdwan.

2. Attack on outsiders : Whenever outsiders purchased an estate at an auction, they

could not always take possession because their agents would be attacked by lathyals of the
former zamindar.

3. Sometimes even the ryots resisted the outsiders due to their close relations with the
zamindar. The ryots considered themselves to be the proja (subjects) of the zamindar.

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 Thus, the zamindars could not be displaced. Thereafter the rules of revenue payment were
made flexible. As a result of that, the zamindar’s power over the villages were
strengthened. It was only during the Great Depression of 1930s that their power collapsed
and the jotedars consolidated their power in the countryside.

3. How did the Paharias respond to the coming of outsiders?

Ans: Paharias live in the hills of Rajmahal. The British people began to interact with
them and later Santhals began to settle down there. The response of the Paharias was as
follows:

1. Paharias resisted the settlement of Santhals initially but had to accommodate them
in course of time.

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2. The Paharias shifted to deeper areas into the hills.

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3. They were confined to more barren and rocky areas of the hills in course of time.
4. The paharias did shifting cultivation. Now shifting cultivation was becoming more
and more difficult as proper and stable settlements.
5. As forest began to be cleared, the paharis could not depend on it for livelihood.
Thus, the lifestyle and living of Paharias underwent change due to coming of
outsiders.

4. Why did the Santhals rebel against British rule?

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Ans: By 1832 the Santhals had settled in Damin-i-Koh area. Their settlement expanded
rapidly. Forests were cleared to accommodate them. The Company also benefitted as it
got more and more land revenue. However, the Santhals too got dissatisfied. They
rebelled against the British rule. Following are the main causes for their rebellion.

1. Santhals were not happy with the tax regime of the company. They thought that the
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land revenue rates were high and exploitative .
2. The Zamindars began to exercise greater control on the areas brought under cultivation
by Santhals, apparently it was a part of the British Policy. But Santhals resented that.
3. Moneylenders in the rural areas were seen as villain and agent of Company rule by the
Santhals. Moneylenders could auction the land of Santhals in case of defaulter. All this
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was not liked by the Santhals.

The British took steps to placate the Santhals later on. A separate district of Santhal
Pargana was carved out and law was enacted to protect the santhals.
5. What explains the anger of the Deccan ryots against the moneylenders?
Ans: During the civil war in USA, Indian merchants hoped to capture the world market in
raw cotton, but that did not happen. On the other hand, the following events took place
after the civil war:

Cotton production in America revived and the Indian cotton exports to British
steadily declined.
Export merchants and sahukars in Maharashtra refused to give long-term credit.
They restricted the advances to peasants and demanded repayment of outstanding
debts.

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 At the same time as the term of first revenue settlement was over, the demand for
revenue was increased from 50 to 100 per cent.

As a result of above, the ryots were not in position to pay the inflated demand because the
prices were also falling. Thus, they had no option except to take a further loan from the
moneylender who also refused to loans. This enraged the ryots. The moneylenders
became insensitive to their plight. They were violating the customary norms of the
countryside. For example, general norm was that the interest charged could not be more
than the principal. They were not charging fair interest. In one of the cases, investigated
by the Deccan Riots Commission, the moneylender charged over ? 2000 as interest on a
loan of ? 100. There were complaints of injustice of such extractions and the violation of
custom. A new law – Limitation Law – was passed in 1859 where validity of loan bonds

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was fixed for three years but the

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moneylenders manipulated new systems to exploit the ryots. Under these circumstances,
the ryots’ anger against the moneylenders increased.

6. Why were so many Zamindaris auctioned after the Permanent settlement?

Ans: Many Zamindaris were auctioned as the Zamindars failed to pay up the agreed land
revenue on time. The reason for the same:
1. Many believed that the land revenue settlemnt was on the higher side. Moreover soon
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after the permanent settlement the foodgrain prices declined. The ryots could not pay up
the land revenue and hence Zamindars also defaulted.
2. The revenue was to be deposited on time irrespective of harvesting cycle. This was
another reason for default by the Zamindars.

3. The power of Zamindars was curbed by the Company. They were no longer law and
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order enforcing agency at local level. Their musclemen were also weakened. As a result of
this Zamindars could not effectively collect taxes at times.
4. Many a time Jotedars and peasants deliberately delayed the land revenue payment.
This resulted in default by Zamindars and the auction thereafter.
7. In what way was the livelihood of Paharias different from that of Santhals?
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Ans: Paharias were living in the foothills of Rajmahal. They lived a life that was different
from Santhals. Most of the information on their lives is based on the report of Buchanan,
the physician of the East India Company who wandered into the terrain of Rajmahal Hills.

1. The paharias were nomads. They lived a wandering life. They, however, sometimes
did shifting cultivation.
2. Their another important source of livelihood of forest resources and animals.
3. They extracted mahua and used it. Colonialism and the countryside: Exploring
official archives
4. Paharias used to look at outsiders with suspicion and even were hostile with them.
5. The Santhals were different from them on many counts.
6. The Santhals took to agriculture fast and soon got into settled life.
7. They had better relation with the outsiders including the East India Company.

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 8. How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
Ans: The American Civil War affected the lives of ryots in India in the following ways :

1. In the beginning, as a result of civil war, the imports of cotton from America fell
from over 2,000,000 bales in 1861 to 55,000 bales in 1862. The Britain looked
towards to fill the gap. Thus, export merchants in Bombay were keen to avail this
opportunity to earn maximum. The advances to urban sahukars, moneylenders and
ultimately to the ryots were provided. This led to increase in cotton production. The
ryots were given ? 100 as advance for every acre they planted with cotton. The
cotton export to Britain increased but this did not bring prosperity for all. Some rich
peasants gained but for the majority of cotton producers including the ryots, cotton
expansion led to heavier debt.

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2. The end of war again affected the ryots badly because with the revival of cotton

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production in America, the Indian exports declined. The sahukars were no longer
interested in extending long-term loans. The demand for cotton had reduced, cotton
prices slided downwards. It hit the ryots badly.
3. At the same time, under the new settlement for revenue, the demand was increased
from 50 to 100 per cent. Under the conditions of falling prices and reduction in the
growth of cotton in the absences of loans, it was not possible for the ryots to make
payment of the inflated demand. Once again they had no option except to take loan
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ryots miserable and ultimately led to riots.

9. What are the problems of using the official sources in writing about the
history of peasants.
Ans: Official sources of the Company Raj are not regarded as reliable source of history
when it came to the lot of Ryots.
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Following are the main problems associated with official source of history.
1. The official records reflect only the Company raj perspective. They did not look at
events from different angles. For example when the Deccan Riot Commission was
instituted, it was required to find out if the land revenue was just or not. Other issues of
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Ryots were not taken into account.

2. The British people looked down upon the local people, their culture and tradition as
lowly. They ended up giving a lowly picture of peasants even if without intention of the
same.
3. The record of the Company Raj was created by the officials in such a manner that it
suits their masters. Thus, evidences were tempered with. For example the Deccan Ryot
Commission concluded that Ryots were angered not by the high land revenue but by
moneylenders.

4. Thus, official sources are to be read alongwith other sources and need to be weighed
before we take them to our stride.

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 10. On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark out the areas described in
this chapter. Find out whether there were other areas where the Permanent
Settlement and the ryotwari system were prevalent and plot these on the map
as well.
Ans: In the chapter the following areas have been mentioned of the subcontinent.
(a) Bengal. (Bangladesh along with certain area of Bihar, Orissa and hilly areas of Assam).
(b) Bombay Presidency and
(c) Madras Presidency,
(d) The Britishers introduced Mahalwari system of land revenue in eastern part of Punjab
(e) Surat
(f) Rajmahal hills (occupied by Paharias and Santhals).

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