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Question 99 of 108 · Arrival of Europeans & Expansion of British Rule
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Railway

The Indigo Commission, appointed in 1860 to inquire into the grievances of the indigo cultivators of Bengal, was headed by:

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Answer: Option A — W. S. Seton-Karr

Detailed Solution

  • Seton-Karr. The Indigo Commission, appointed by the government of Bengal in 1860 to inquire into the indigo system and the grievances of the cultivators, was headed by Walter Scott Seton-Karr, a senior civil servant.

Background:

  • The European indigo planters forced the peasants of Bengal to grow indigo on their best land, under unfair contracts.
  • The peasants were paid very low prices, and were often beaten, imprisoned or cheated by the planters' agents.
  • In 1859, the peasants of Bengal refused to grow indigo, and the Indigo Revolt (Nil Bidroha) spread across many districts.
  • The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, John Peter Grant, was sympathetic to the peasants.

The commission:

  • It was appointed in March 1860.
  • It had five members, representing the government, the planters, the missionaries and the Indian zamindars.
  • It examined many witnesses, including peasants, planters, officials and missionaries.

Its findings:

  • It found the system of indigo cultivation to be oppressive and harmful to the peasants.
  • It reported that the planters were guilty of coercion.
  • It recommended that the peasants should not be forced to grow indigo.

Results:

  • The government declared that the peasants could not be compelled to grow indigo, and that disputes would be settled by the ordinary courts.
  • By the end of 1860, indigo cultivation in Bengal had virtually ended, and the planters moved to Bihar.

"Neel Darpan":

The play "Neel Darpan" (1860) by Dinabandhu Mitra exposed the oppression of the planters.

Rev. James Long published its English translation; he was prosecuted and fined for libel.

NCERT on the Indigo Commission:

NCERT notes that the Indigo Commission held the planters guilty and criticised them for the coercive methods they used with indigo cultivators, and that it declared that ryots could not be forced to grow indigo.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Canning was the Viceroy, Grant was the Lieutenant-Governor, and James Long translated "Neel Darpan"; none of them headed the commission.

Quick tip

Remember: Indigo Commission (1860) = W. S. Seton-Karr; ryots could not be forced to grow indigo; "Neel Darpan" by Dinabandhu Mitra (English translation by Rev. James Long).

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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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