4.1 Permanent Settlement

Permanent Settlement

2020-04-26 19:37:18

  • Introduced in 1793 for Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
  • @ Zamindar's became the owner of entire land in their Zamindaries and became agents of govt for collection of revenue
  • they got 10% remuneration in the collection of revenue
  • Land revenue to be collected was permanently fixed
  • was extended to parts of Banaras and North Madras.
  • Zamindars were aka Rajas.
  • was made with Zamindars/Rajas and Talukdars of Bengal traditionally they were not landowners but revenue collectors.
  • Ryots were peasants, in Bengal they mostly leased it out to under ryots.
  • Rich ryots were called Jotedars and Mandals
  • ~ Amlah were officers of the Zamindars who collected rent
  • ~ Adhiyars and Bargadars were sharecroppers
  • Covered 19 % total culti land
  • Also in North Madras

Why Permanent Settlement?

  • hoped to resolve famines, inc agri output of rural Bengal.
  • to assure a regular flow of income to Coy.
  • ensure profit to entrepreneurs who would help improve agri.

Problems

Problems for Peasants

  • Gov lost contact with the Peasants
  • No scientific bias on fixation of revenue made it ad hoc and often very high
  • Zamindari and Peasant historical tie was annulled

Problems for Zamindars

  • Zamindaries were auctioned for non-payment
  • Money lenders, speculators etc now became Zamindar who did not have any interest in development of Peasant

Effects of Permanent Settlement

  • Taxes rose from Rs 6 lakh in 1763 to Rs 28 lakh in 1790. Famines, Hunger, Barren land were common occurrence.
  • initial revenue demands were very high in 1790s price of agri produce was already depressed
  • & demand was invariable regardless of the harvest
  • power of zamindar was initially limited to collect rent and manage zamindari
  • Collector emerged as a rival authority to the Zamindar, rich ryots deliberately delayed payment
  • Prosecution of defaulters was a long drawn process
  • fictitious sale of zamindari assets, deliberate delaying of payment of purchase exhausted the state
  • Jotedars emerged as a powerful class especially in North Bengal, they lived within villages aka Haoladars and Gantidars
  • Later in the 19th century zamindars who survived consolidated their powers
  • 5th report submitted to British parliament in 1813 dealt with administration and other activities ex petitions of zamindars and ryots, reports of collectors etc.
  • Francis Buchanans exploits are important source for this period

PS not Extended over other Regions because :

  • fixed settlement, no claim over enhanced income
  • Ricardian theory that was popular during the time - landowner should have claim only on the average rent - above which was to be taxed by state

Analysis and Historians Views [1]

  • Existing sys impoverished country, ruined agri, dec in prod of silk or cotton
  • Alexander Dow, Henri Parullo, Philip Francis and Thomas Law favored PS before Cornwalis
  • Would reduce corruption, landlords would invest money on imp land, coy would get tax regularly
collapse: open
- **PJ Marshall** : rev was 20% higher
- **BB Chaudhary** : rev doubled b/w 1765 - 1793
  • Coy retained some zamindars replaced others, old customary rates were ignored
  • Ease of collection to ensure loyalty
  • Zamindar could sell mortgage and transfer it
  • PS vested land ownership to Z previously only revenue rights
  • Issues with PS
    • Written agreement rarely followed
    • Regulation of 1799 1812 gave Z right to seize property
    • Sunset clause
    • Frequent sale of Z estates 1804-1818
    • Subinfeudation by old Z
    • Legal reforms further strengthened rich peasants viz Jotedars
-   **Rajat and Ratnalekha Ray** : revenue collecting right of Z remained unaffected aka Jotedar thesis  
- **Sugata Bose** :
  - Jotedar thesis of Rajat and Ratnalekha Ray has been countered 
  - says that it was confined only to Northern Bengal, 
  - 2 other modes viz peasant landholding-demesne in west and peasant small landholding in East 
  - supported by **Akinobu Kawai and Partha Chatterjee**
- **Nariaki Nakazato** : exitence of jotedar haoladar class in central and east Bengal
- **China Panda** - unqualified decline of Z

PYQs

  1. Trace the circumstances that led to the introduction of the Permanent Settlement in Bengal. Discuss its impact on landlords, peasants and the Government. [1981, 60m]
  1. "The Permanent Settlement of land revenue in Bengal was a‚ bold, brave and wise measure." Comment. [1983, 20m]
  • From above
  1. Show how British rule led to the spread of landlordism in certain parts of India, and how the peasant was progressively impoverished under this rule. [1985, 60m]
  1. "The permanent system of Bengal though initiated with best of best of intentions, was a sadly blundering affair." Comment. [1993, 20m]
  1. "The Permanent settlement was a bold, brave and wise measures." Comment. [1997, 20m]
  1. "Absentee landlordism was a consequential feature of Bengal's Permanent land settlement." Comment. [2003, 20m]
  1. "Permanent Settlement disappointed many expectations and introduced there results that were not anticipated." Comment. [2004, 20m]
  1. "Though the Permanent Settlement had serious defects, it gave tranquility to the countryside and stability to the government." Comment. [2009, 20m]
  1. "The passing of the land from the hands of the peasant proprietors into the hands of noncultivating landlords brought about increasing polarization of classes in agrarian areas." [2018, 10 Marks]

  1. From Sekhar Bandyopadhyay↩︎