Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside Questions and Answers

Content Structure

A. Exercise Questions & Answers
- Match the following
- Fill in the blanks
B. Additional Questions & Answers
- Multiple Choice questions & answers (MCQs)
- Fill in the Blanks
- True or False
- Match the following
- Short-type questions & answers
- Long-type questions & answers

A. Exercise Questions & Answers

Match the following

Column A	Column B
Ryot	Village
Mahal	Peasant
Nij	Cultivation on Ryot’s lands
Ryoti	Cultivation on planter’s own land

Ans:

Column A	Column B
Ryot	Peasant
Mahal	Village
Nij	Cultivation on planter’s own land
Ryoti	Cultivation on Ryot’s lands

Fill in the blanks

(a) Growers of woad in Europe saw __________________ as a crop that would provide competition to their earnings.
(b) The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of ___________________.
(c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of ______________________.
(d) The Champaran movement was against ______________________.

Ans:
1. Indigo
2. The rise of cotton textile production.
3. Artificial dyes.
4. The forced cultivation of indigo by British planters.

3. Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.
Ans: The Permanent Settlement fixed revenue, benefiting the Company but burdening Zamindars with high payments.

The revenue amount was fixed permanently and would never increase in the future.
The idea was that this system would ensure a steady flow of money for the Company while also encouraging zamindars to invest in land improvement.
Since the government could not raise the revenue demand, zamindars would benefit if agricultural production increased.
However, the fixed revenue was set so high that many zamindars struggled to pay it.
Even when zamindars earned more from expanded cultivation, the Company did not gain because the revenue amount could not be changed.

4. How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
Ans:

The Malware system	The Permanent Settlement
In the Mahalwari System, the tax amount was checked and changed from time to time.	In the Permanent Settlement, the tax amount was fixed forever and would never increase.
In the Mahalwari System, the village headmen collected the tax instead.	In the Permanent Settlement, the zamindars (landowners) collected tax from farmers and gave it to the British.

5. Give two problems that arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.
Ans: The tax was too high, and farmers did not have enough money to pay it, because of this, many farmers ran away from their villages, leaving some places empty.

6. Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?
Ans: Planters forced farmers to grow indigo on the best land, trapping them in debt with low earnings. Indigo weakened the soil, making it hard to grow rice afterwards.

Indigo weakened the soil, making it difficult to grow rice after indigo harvesting.
Planters forced farmers (ryots) to sign a contract to grow indigo.
Farmers who signed got some money but had to use 25% of their land for indigo.
Planters provided seeds and tools, but farmers had to do all the work.
After harvest, farmers had to give the indigo to the planter and take another loan, trapping them in debt.
Farmers worked very hard but earned very little for their indigo.
Planters forced farmers to grow indigo on the best land, but farmers needed that land for rice.

7. What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?
Ans: The Indigo Rebellion happened when farmers refused to grow indigo, fought against planters, and eventually got the right to stop growing it in the future.

(i) The Indigo Rebellion in Bengal

Farmers (ryots) were tired of being forced to grow indigo and refused to do it.
Angry farmers stopped paying rent and attacked indigo factories with swords, spears, bows, and arrows.

(ii) Support from Zamindars and Village Leaders

Local landowners (zamindars) and village leaders supported the farmers.
They helped fight against the planters’ strongmen (lathiyals).
In some areas, zamindars even encouraged farmers to resist the planters.

(iii) British Government’s Response

The British got worried and sent soldiers to protect the planters.
They set up the Indigo Commission to investigate.

(iv) Findings of the Indigo Commission

Planters were guilty of forcing farmers to grow indigo.
Indigo farming was not good for the farmers.
The Commission ruled:
- Farmers had to complete current contracts.
- But they could refuse to grow indigo in the future.

B. Additional Questions & Answers

Multiple Choice questions & answers (MCQs)

1. In which year did the British East India Company get the Diwani rights?
(a) On 12 August 1757
(b) On 12 August 1765
(c) On 15 August 1772
(d) On 17 August 1793

Ans: (b) On 12 August 1765

2. Before 1765, how did the British East India Company buy goods in Bengal?
(a) By taking loans from Indian merchants
(b) By using tax money from Bengal
(c) By bringing gold and silver from Britain
(d) By trading indigo for other goods

Ans: (c) By bringing gold and silver from Britain

3. In which year did a terrible famine strike Bengal?
(a) 1757
(b) 1765
(c) 1756
(d) 1770

Ans: (d) 1770

4. Who held the position of Governor-General of India in the year 1793?
(a) Warren Hastings
(b) Lord Cornwallis
(c) Lord Wellesley
(d) Robert Clive

Ans: (b) Lord Cornwallis

5. The British East India Company started the Permanent Settlement in which year?
(a) 1765
(b) 1770
(c) 1793
(d) 1800

Ans: (c) 1793

6. What was a big problem with the Permanent Settlement system?
(a) The tax was too low
(b) The tax was too high, and zamindars could not pay it
(c) The tax changed every year
(d) The British had no control over the land

Ans: (b) The tax was too high, and zamindars could not pay it

7. How many people died in the Bengal famine of 1770?
(a) 10 million
(b) 7 million
(c) 15 million
(d) 12 million

Ans: (a) 10 million

8. In which year was the Mahalwari system introduced?
(a) 1793
(b) 1821
(c) 1822
(d) 1833

Ans: (c) 1822

9. What was the main reason for introducing the Mahalwari system?
(a) To fix land tax permanently
(b) To make village headmen collect taxes instead of zamindars
(c) To give all land to the British government
(d) To stop farmers from growing certain crops

Ans: (b) To make village headmen collect taxes instead of zamindars

10. Who were the ryots?
(a) British rulers
(b) Landowners who collected taxes
(c) Farmers who worked on the land
(d) Soldiers in the army

Ans: (c) Farmers who worked on the land

11. Why did many farmers lose their land?
(a) They could not pay the high taxes
(b) They gave their land to the British
(c) They moved to the city for work
(d) They stopped farming by choice

Ans: (a) They could not pay the high taxes

12. Which crop is correctly matched with its main growing region in India?
(a) Jute – Assam
(b) Tea – Punjab
(c) Cotton – Maharashtra
(d) Wheat – Bengal

Ans: (c) Cotton – Maharashtra

13. What was the role of a zamindar under British rule?
(a) To collect taxes from farmers and give them to the British
(b) To grow crops on their own land
(c) To work as a British officer in India
(d) To help farmers by reducing taxes

Ans: (a) To collect taxes from farmers and give them to the British

14. Where was the Mahalwari Settlement System first introduced in 1822?
(a) Bengal
(b) Punjab
(c) Madras
(d) Assam

Ans: (b) Punjab

15. By 1810, what percentage of indigo in Britain came from India?
(a) 50%
(b) 70%
(c) 92%
(d) 95%

Ans: (d) 95%

Fill in the Blanks

1. According to the Permanent Settlement _________________ were recognized as zamindars.
2. In the Munro system _______________ collected the tax.
3. The ___________________ introduced the Ryotwari Settlement system.
4. The Champaran Movement was against ______________________.
5. ______________________ introduced the Mahalwari Settlement system.
6. Indigo crops came to Bengal ___________________ .
7. The Great Famine in Bengal occurred in ____________________.
8. In 1793, the Company introduced ____________________.
9. _________________ is a major crop in Assam.
10. Mahatma Gandhi visited ___________________ to help _______________ farmers.

Ans:
1. Rajas and Taluqdars
2. Farmers
3. Thomas Munro
4. Forced indigo cultivation by British planters
5. Holt Mackenzie
6. 17th century
7. 1770
8. Permanent Settlement
9. Tea
10. Champaran, Indigo

True or False

1. Indigo Cultivated only fertile lands.
Ans: False.

2. After Indigo production collapsed in Bengal, the planters shifted their operation to Rajasthan.
Ans: False.

3. The Malwari System was devised by Holt Mackenzie.
Ans: True.

4. Indigo was easily available in Europe.
Ans: False.

5. One-third of the population was wiped out from Bengal because a terrible feminine occurred there.
Ans: True.

6. Indigo cultivation was done under two main systems known as Nij and Ryots.
Ans: True.

7. Thomas Munro was the governor of Bengal during 1819-26.
Ans: False.

8. Zamindars Collect rent from farmers and pay a fixed tax to the Company.
Ans: True.

9. The Bengal economy boomed after the Company was appointed as Diwan of that province.
Ans: False.

10. The permanent settlement created many problems.
Ans: true.

Match the following

Column A	Column B
(a) On 12 August, 1765	1. Maharastra
(b) 1822	2. Madras
(c) 1793	3. Diwani
(d) Cotton	4. Permanent settlement
(e) Rice	5. Mahalwari System

Ans:

Column A	Column B
(a) On 12 August, 1765	3. Diwani
(b) 1822	5. Mahalwari System
(c) 1793	4. Permanent settlement
(d) Cotton	1. Maharastra
(e) Rice	2. Madras

Short-type questions & answers

1. Why were Bengal artisans deserting villages?
Ans. Bengal artisans were leaving their villages because the East India Company forced them to sell their goods at very low prices.

2. Who created the Kalmakari print?
Ans. Kalamkari print was created by Indian weavers in Andhra Pradesh.

3. Name the Governor-General of India when the Permanent Settlement was introduced.
Ans. Charles Cornwallis was the Governor-General of India when the Permanent Settlement was introduced.

4. Who was William Worrall?
Ans. William Worrall was a British officer who played a role in colonial administration in India.

5. What did the Permanent Settlement mean?
Ans. Peasants had to pay a fixed tax that would never increase in the future.

6. What is Indigo?
Ans. Indigo is a blue dye made from the Indigofera plant. It was widely grown in India during British rule and used for dyeing clothes.

7. What is a plantation farm?
Ans. A plantation is a large farm where a planter uses workers, often forced labour, to grow crops like coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, tea, and cotton.

8. What were the effects of the economic crisis in Bengal?
Ans.

(i) Job Loss – Many weavers and craftsmen lost their work because the British controlled trade.

(ii) Farmers Left – Many farmers died or left, so less food was grown.

(iii) High Taxes – The British still took high taxes, even when people had no money.

(iv) Poor Economy – Farming and trade became weak, making Bengal poorer.

9. Why did the demand for Indian indigo increase in the late 18th century?
Ans. European textile factories needed more indigo because it was a key dye for their fabrics. Indian indigo was better than European dyes because of its higher quality and colour.

10. How was indigo grown under the Ryotwari or Ryoti system?
Ans. Under the Ryotwari or Ryoti system, farmers got money but had to spend it on growing indigo. The planters gave seeds, but the farmers did all the work. They kept taking loans and couldn’t get out of debt. Growing indigo damages the soil, making it harder to grow food crops like rice.

Long-type questions & answers

1. What was the Malawari system?
Ans. The Malawari system was a type of land revenue system where farmers had to pay a fixed amount of tax to the British government and they were often forced to grow crops, like indigo.

By the early 1800s, many Company officials felt the tax system needed to change again. They wondered how taxes could stay fixed when the Company needed more money for running the administration and trade.
In the North Western Provinces of Bengal Presidency (now mostly Uttar Pradesh), an Englishman named Holt Mackenzie introduced a new system in 1822. He believed that villages were important in north Indian society and should be protected.
Under his plan, collectors visited villages to inspect land, measure fields, and record local customs and rights. They estimated the total tax for each plot and added it up to find the amount the whole village (mahal) had to pay.
Unlike before, the tax was not fixed forever—it would be revised regularly. Instead of zamindars, the village headman was now responsible for collecting and paying the tax to the Company. This system was called the Mahalwari Settlement.

2. Described Munro system.
Ans: In British territories in the South, the Permanent Settlement was replaced by a new system called Ryotwari. Captain Alexander Read first tested it in some areas taken after the wars with Tipu Sultan. Later, Thomas Munro improved the system, and it was gradually used across South India.

Thomas Munro believed that the British should act like a caring ruler, protecting farmers and their needs.
Unlike in North India, South India had no zamindars to collect taxes.
Instead, the British collected tax directly from farmers (ryots).
Each farmer was responsible for paying taxes based on the size of their land.
The land was carefully measured before deciding the tax amount.

3. Why did planters face difficulties in expanding Nij farming for indigo cultivation?
Ans: Planters had trouble growing indigo because they needed fertile land, but the land was crowded, and they couldn’t get enough large plots. There was also a shortage of workers and equipment, so they couldn’t expand Nij farming.

Indigo could only grow on fertile land, but these lands were already crowded with people.
Planters needed large farms, but they could only get small scattered plots.
They tried to rent land near their factories and force peasants to leave, but this caused fights and problems.
Indigo farming needed a lot of workers, but peasants were busy growing rice.
Large farms needed many ploughs and bullocks.
One bigha of land needed two ploughs, so a 1,000 bigha farm needed 2,000 ploughs.
Planters could not afford so many ploughs, and peasants were using their own for rice farming.

Because of these problems, planters did not expand Nij farming. By the late 1800s, less than 25% of indigo farms used this system. The rest used a different system called ryoti farming.

Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside Questions and Answers

Content Structure

A. Exercise Questions & Answers

Match the following

Fill in the blanks

B. Additional Questions & Answers

Multiple Choice questions & answers (MCQs)

Fill in the Blanks

True or False

Match the following

Short-type questions & answers

Long-type questions & answers

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