With reference to British revenue systems, consider the following statements: (2024)1. Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities.2. Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
✓ Correct answer: b) 2 only
ExplanationAns: B Exp:Statement 1 is incorrect: In Ryotwari system the government revenue was a fixed amount, irrespective of crop output, and was to be paid in cash.Thus during periods of bad crops or low prices the peasants were forced to pay the land revenue, even if it required borrowing from moneylenders .Statement 2 is correct: In the Zamindari system the revenue was invariable, regardless | | UPSC of the harvest, and had to be paid punctually.According to the Sunset Law, if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned.Additional Information : The Ryotwari system : Introduced by Thomas Munro in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies, aimed to collect land revenue directly from individual cultivators (ryots).Unlike the zamindari system, peasants were recognized as landowners and were personally responsible for paying taxes to the British government.However, the revenue demand was high and periodically revised, often placing a heavy financial burden on farmers.The Permanent Settlement : Introduced by Lord Cornwallis (1793) in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, was a zamindari-based land revenue system where zamindars were made hereditary landowners responsible for paying a fixed land tax to the British.This system provided stability in revenue collection for the British, but it led to severe peasant exploitation, as zamindars, who were only interested in maximizing rent, extracted high dues from cultivators.
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