Chap 3 Ruling the Countryside

Let’s Recall

1. Match the following:
   • ryot – peasant
   • mahal – village
   • nij – cultivation on planter’s own land
   • ryoti – cultivation on ryot’s lands
2. Fill in the blanks:
   • (a) Growers of woad in Europe saw indigo as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.
   • (b) The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of industrialisation.
   • (c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of synthetic dyes.
   • (d) The Champaran movement was against indigo planters.

Let’s Discuss

3. Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.
   • The Permanent Settlement was introduced by the British in 1793. Under this system, the rajas and taluqdars were recognized as zamindars. They were given the responsibility of collecting rent from the peasants and paying a fixed revenue to the Company. This amount was fixed permanently, meaning it would not change in the future.
4. How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
   • The mahalwari system was introduced later and was different from the Permanent Settlement because the revenue was not fixed permanently. In this system, the revenue was assessed periodically. Instead of zamindars, the responsibility for collecting revenue was given to village headmen. The revenue demand was calculated based on the collective earnings of the village, not just individual landowners.
5. Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.
   • Two problems with the Munro system were:
     1. The revenue demand was often set too high, which the peasants (ryots) could not afford to pay. This led to many fleeing their villages to escape the high taxes.
     2. The new system failed to create wealthy and enterprising farmers as expected. Instead, it left many peasants in poverty, struggling to make ends meet.
6. Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?
   • Ryots were reluctant to grow indigo because the system was very harsh. The price they received for indigo was low, and they often fell into a cycle of debt due to the loans they had to take to grow the crop. Additionally, indigo farming exhausted the soil, making it difficult to grow food crops like rice afterward, which further worsened their situation.
7. What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?
   • Indigo production in Bengal collapsed due to the “Blue Rebellion” in 1859, where ryots refused to grow indigo and rebelled against the planters. The oppressive conditions, unfair contracts, and low payments led to widespread resistance. The British government’s intervention and the rise of synthetic dyes later also contributed to the decline of indigo production.

Let’s Imagine

Imagine a conversation between a planter and a peasant who is being forced to grow indigo. What reasons would the planter give to persuade the peasant? What problems would the peasant point out? Enact their conversation.

• Planter: “If you grow indigo, you will get an advance payment and a steady income. The Company needs indigo, and it is your duty to help us.”
• Peasant: “But Sir, the price you pay is too low, and the loans are a burden. Growing indigo exhausts my land, and I can’t grow rice after that. My family goes hungry because of this.”
• Planter: “You must think of the benefits. The money will help you, and we will provide the seeds and tools.”
• Peasant: “The money doesn’t last long, and the debt keeps growing. I would rather grow food for my family than a crop that ruins my land.”

This conversation highlights the tension and problems between the planters and peasants during the indigo cultivation period in Bengal.