Theme 3- CH 1 The Making of the Mughal Empire

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture on Zamindari estates and the colonial revenue systems in Bengal and the Deccan.

What percentage of zamindari estates changed hands after the Permanent Settlement in Bengal?

Over 75%.

Which law stipulated auction of zamindari for revenue default by sunset?

Sunset Law.

Why did Company peg revenue demand high during the Permanent Settlement?

To preempt losses from future increases in agricultural production and prices.

How did fictitious auctions help zamindars avoid dispossession?

Agents repurchased lands, withheld payments, and exhausted real bidders.

What role did women’s property rights play in zamindari retention tactics?

Zamindars transferred estates to female relatives, as women’s property was protected.

Which class of peasants rose in opposition to zamindars in Bengal?

Jotedars.

How did jotedars resist zamindari authority in North Bengal?

By delaying rent, mobilising ryots, and obstructing revenue collection.

Which revenue official was often in conflict with jotedars and ryots?

Amlah.

What does the term 'benami purchase' mean in colonial Bengal context?

Fictitious purchase made in another's name to retain zamindari control.

What percent of zamindari auction sales between 1793–1801 were fictitious?

Over 15%.

Which major British report shaped our understanding of 18th-century Bengal zamindars?

The Fifth Report (1813).

What was the key administrative motivation behind the Permanent Settlement?

Secure regular revenue flow through fixed land revenue.

Who was Charles Cornwallis in the context of Bengal’s land revenue system?

Governor-General during Permanent Settlement introduction.

Why were rich ryots and village headmen unsupportive of zamindars?

They gained autonomy and power by weakening zamindari control.

Which area in the Rajmahal hills witnessed Paharia and Santhal settlement conflict?

Damin-i-Koh.

Why were Paharias hostile to Buchanan's survey expeditions?

Due to distrust from prior brutal colonial pacification campaigns.

What agricultural method distinguished Paharias from settled cultivators?

Shifting cultivation using hoes.

Why did Paharia chiefs lose credibility under colonial pacification policies?

They were perceived as stipendiary agents of the British.

What was the key difference between Paharias and Santhals in cultivation method?

Paharias practiced shifting cultivation; Santhals used plough agriculture.

What caused Santhal migration to the Rajmahal hills around 1800?

British invited them to clear forests and settle land.

What territory was demarcated in 1832 specifically for Santhal settlement?

Damin-i-Koh.

What were Santhals required to do within ten years of land grant in Damin-i-Koh?

Clear and cultivate at least one-tenth of the land.

Which revolt in 1855-56 led to the creation of Santhal Pargana?

Santhal Revolt.

What distinguished Santhal resistance from Paharia resistance?

Santhals mobilised an armed rebellion; Paharias withdrew passively.

Why did Santhals begin to rebel against the British by 1850s?

Due to land alienation, high taxes, and moneylender exploitation.

Which British official first attempted Paharia pacification with allowances?

Augustus Cleveland.

What term was used for Santhal enemies like moneylenders in their songs?

Dikus.

How did Buchanan's surveys serve colonial interests?

Provided data on resources, land productivity, and revenue potential.

What Western philosophy influenced Buchanan's perception of forests?

Romanticism and modernist notions of progress.

Why did British prefer Santhals over Paharias as agricultural settlers?

Santhals were willing to plough land and adopt settled farming.

How did the Company’s pacification strategy alter tribal hierarchies?

Chiefs accepting stipends lost traditional authority.

What shift did the Santhal migration cause in Rajmahal hills ecology?

Forest cleared and converted into permanent agricultural fields.

Which year saw the outbreak of Deccan Riots in Maharashtra?

1875.

What specific documents did ryots burn during Deccan Riots?

Bahi khatas (account books) and debt bonds.

Which settlement system was implemented in the Bombay Deccan?

Ryotwari Settlement.

Which British economist’s ideas shaped Bombay’s revenue policy?

David Ricardo.

Why did British reject Permanent Settlement for Deccan?

Revenue loss risk due to rising prices and productivity.

What was the core criticism of Permanent Settlement in Bombay?

Zamindars turned rentiers and didn’t invest in agriculture.

Which association promoted Indian cotton cultivation during the Civil War?

Cotton Supply Association (1857).

How did American Civil War (1861–65) influence Deccan agriculture?

Created a cotton boom with easy credit flow to ryots.

What was the effect of the cotton boom’s end on Deccan ryots?

Credit dried up, debts rose, revenue demands increased.

Which law in 1859 limited legal enforceability of loan bonds?

Limitation Law.

How did moneylenders bypass the Limitation Law?

By renewing loan bonds every 3 years with new interest calculations.

What symbols did peasants associate with oppression post-1850s?

Written bonds, legal deeds, and account papers.

How did peasants respond to sahukar oppression in the 1875 riots?

Burnt records, looted grain, and attacked sahukar property.

What was a ‘deed of hire’ in the context of peasant indebtedness?

Legal document forcing ryots to rent back their own bullocks.

Which British body produced the Deccan Riots Report (1878)?

Deccan Riots Commission.

What major finding did the Deccan Riots Commission present?

Moneylenders—not revenue policies—were blamed for the riots.

Why is the Fifth Report (1813) and the Deccan Riots Report (1878) important for historians?

Rich in data but reflect official biases, requiring critical reading.

Why did peasants fear the written bond system introduced by British?

They were illiterate and unaware of exploitative legal clauses.