Ch 10: Colonialism and the Countryside
Anchors the core socio-economic dynamics of colonial land revenue systems, tribal resistance movements like the Santhal rebellion, and the peasant uprising in the Deccan.
Bengal and the Zamindars
UPSC regularly extracts conceptual questions from the Permanent Settlement of 1793, Cornwallis's motivations, the 'Sunset Law', and the rise of the Jotedars as a powerful agrarian class opposing Zamindars. Candidates must closely study the Fifth Report (1813) submitted to the British Parliament. Pay attention to terms like 'Ryot', 'Under-ryots', 'Banians', and 'Lathyals'. Avoid confusing the Jotedars of Bengal with the Mirasidars of Madras, as UPSC frequently tests regional agrarian hierarchies.
The auction at Burdwan (1797) was a highly strategic performance where Raja Tejchand's agents outbid outsiders to save his estate.
The Fifth Report of 1813, written by a select committee, sought to regulate and critique the East India Company's monopoly, highlighting the failure of the Permanent Settlement.
The Hoe and the Plough
This section is a goldmine for tribal movements, specifically focusing on the conflict between the Paharias (associated with the shift-cultivating 'hoe') and the Santhals (associated with settled 'plough' agriculture). Key focus areas include the creation of Damin-i-Koh in 1832, the leadership of Sidhu and Kanhu in the Santhal Rebellion (1855-56), and the subsequent creation of the Santhal Pargana. Trap: ensure you do not confuse the geography of the Rajmahal hills with Western Ghats or Central India.
Francis Buchanan was a surgeon who undertook journeys sponsored by the EIC to survey resources, mapping landscapes with an eye for commercial exploitation.
Sidhu and Kanhu led the Santhal rebellion of 1855-56, claiming divine command to end the reign of the Dikus (outsiders) and EIC.
A Revolt in the Countryside: The Bombay Deccan
Focuses on the Ryotwari system introduced by Thomas Munro in Madras and Bombay Presidencies, the Deccan Riots of 1875 starting in Supa, Pune, and the Deccan Riots Commission report of 1878. Key conceptual links include the American Civil War (1861-65) cotton boom and its collapse, leading to the ryots falling into debt traps set by Sahukars (moneylenders). UPSC tests the distinction between Permanent Settlement (zamindari) and Ryotwari (individual contracts).
Unlike Bengal's Permanent Settlement, the Ryotwari system was based on Ricardian rent theory, assessing land revenue directly from the ryot for periodic intervals.
The Deccan Riots Commission (1878) presented a report to the British Parliament, blaming moneylenders rather than high British revenue demands for the agrarian distress.