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Question 55 of 73 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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At the time when the Permanent Settlement was introduced in Bengal (1793), the Raja of Burdwan, one of the largest zamindaris, was:

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Answer: Option D — Tejchand

Detailed Solution

At the time when the Permanent Settlement was introduced in Bengal in 1793, the Raja of Burdwan (Bardhaman), one of the largest and richest zamindaris of Bengal, was Raja Tejchand (Tej Chand).

NCERT on the Burdwan Raj:

  • NCERT discusses the case of the Raja of Burdwan in its chapter on the colonial countryside, to show the problems faced by zamindars under the Permanent Settlement.
  • It notes that in 1797, there was an auction in Burdwan, as a number of mahals (estates) held by the Raja were being sold, because he had failed to pay the revenue on time.
  • At the auction, many purchasers came forward, but it was found that many of them were the Raja's own agents or servants.
  • More than 95 percent of the sales at the auction were fictitious; the Raja's men bought the lands, so that the estate effectively remained with the Raja.
  • The Raja used such tricks to avoid losing his lands.

Problems for zamindars under the Permanent Settlement:

  • The revenue demand was fixed at a very high level.
  • Revenue had to be paid on time, by sunset on a fixed date (the "sunset law"); otherwise the estate could be auctioned.
  • Zamindars found it difficult to collect rents from the ryots (peasants), especially in bad years.
  • The powers of the zamindars to maintain troops and administer justice were taken away.
  • NCERT notes that between 1797 and 1798, more than half of the zamindaris in Bengal were transferred through auctions.

Rise of the jotedars:

In the villages, rich peasants called "jotedars" became powerful, and often resisted the zamindars.

About the Permanent Settlement:

  • It was introduced in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal and Bihar.
  • The zamindars were recognised as owners of the land, and the revenue they had to pay to the state was fixed permanently.

About Burdwan:

The Burdwan Raj was founded by a Punjabi Khatri family in the 17th century, and became one of the largest zamindaris.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Mahtab Chand was a later Maharaja of Burdwan.
  • ✗Krishnachandra Roy was the Raja of Nadia.
  • ✗Nandakumar was an official executed in 1775.

Quick tip

Remember: Raja of Burdwan in 1793 = Tejchand (NCERT: 1797 auction with fictitious sales by the Raja's agents); Permanent Settlement = 1793 (Cornwallis; sunset law).

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Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the arrival of the Portuguese, Dutch, English, Danes and French in India, the growth of the East India Company, and the battles, wars and treaties through which British power expanded, including the Battles of Plassey and Buxar, the Anglo-Mysore, Anglo-Maratha and Anglo-Sikh wars, and policies such as subsidiary alliance and the doctrine of lapse. Typical questions ask which battle was fought in which year and between whom, which treaty ended which war, and which Governor-General introduced a policy. For example, the Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought between Robert Clive and Siraj-ud-Daulah, and the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) gave the Company the diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Practise the arrival of Europeans and expansion of British rule questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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