Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856:

1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts.
2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders.
3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 2 and 3 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. 2 only

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• In Awadh, many estates and forts were controlled by taluqdars who had exercised authority over land and local administration for generations. Before the arrival of the British, these taluqdars maintained armed retainers, constructed forts, and enjoyed considerable autonomy, provided they acknowledged the Nawab’s suzerainty and regularly paid revenue from their taluqs. However, after the annexation of Awadh, the British sought to curb the taluqdars’ influence by disarming them and demolishing their forts.

Statement 2 is correct

• A Summary Revenue Settlement was introduced in 1856. It was based on the assumption that the taluqdars were outsiders/interlopers who had acquired their lands through force and fraud. Therefore, their claims were largely ignored. Under the Summary Settlement, the British confiscated the estates of most taluqdars or zamindars. Figures show that in pre-British times, taluqdars held 67 per cent of the total number of villages in Awadh; by the Summary Settlement, this number had fallen to 38 per cent.

Statement 3 is correct

• British land revenue officers believed that by removing taluqdars, they would be able to settle the land with the actual owners of the soil and thus reduce the level of exploitation of peasants while increasing revenue returns for the state.

Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Medium