QUE3. Consider the following statements regarding the 'Permanent Settlement System' :
1. Land revenue was fixed in perpetuity.
2. Zamindars were made owners of the land and were given hereditary rights over the collection of land revenue.
3. Zamindar's share was 1/11th of the collected land revenue.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
PERMANENT SETTLEMENT
● Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793.
● The land revenue was collected from the peasants by the intermediaries known as Zamindars.
● Under Permanent Settlement System, Zamindars were made owners of the land and were given hereditary rights over the collection of land revenue.
● The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished.
● The system was most prevalent in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
SUNSET CLAUSE
● The Permanent Settlement fixed the land revenue demand in perpetuity.
● The amount to be paid by the zamindars was fixed. It was agreed that this would not increase in future (permanent).
● The share of the British Government in the total land revenue collected by the zamindars was 10/11th and the remainder 1/11th was kept by the zamindars.
● The Zamindars’ proprietorship would remain as long as he paid the fixed revenue on due date to the government.
● The Zamindar had to deposit the collected revenue on a fixed date before sunset.
● If not done, he would lose the full estate or a part thereof. The estate would then be sold off to other zamindar in an open auction.
RISE OF ABSENTEE LANDLORDISM
● A new crop of unofficial middlemen also grew between the Zamindars and Peasants.
● Zamindars would often sublet the land to these middlemen and would relocate to big cities like Calcutta to live a luxurious life.
● Thus, Zamindars turned into Absentee landlords due to permanent settlement.
BATTLE OF WANDIWASH (1760)
➤ The Battle of Wandiwash was a decisive battle which took place in Vandavasi, Tamil Nadu between the French and the British in on Jan 22, 1760.
It was an attempt by the French forces under their commander Count de Lally to acquire the Fort of Vandavasi.
This attempt was foiled by the British Forces under the command of British Lt-Gen Sir Eyre Coote, leading to the Battle of Wandiwash.
➤ The battle was part of the Third Carnatic War fought between the French and British colonial empires, which itself was a part of the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) at global level.
➤ It sealed the fate of the French East India Company in India.