Question

What was the land revenue system introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa? How was it beneficial to the British and the Zamindars? 

Or 

Revenue systems implemented by the British broke the backbone of Indian farmers. Evaluate this statement based on Permanent land revenue settlement.

Answer 1

• The Permanent Settlement was the land revenue system introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. 
• In this system, the tax was collected by the ‘zamindars. Zamindar was the owner of the entire land where he had the jurisdiction to collect tax. The actual farmers became tenants. Farmers were to pay 60% of the yield j as tax in cash. The Zamindars became rich by collecting excess tax from the farmers. The English East India Company got the tax regularly. Tax was to be paid even at the time of poor yield. 
• Tax was to be paid in cash before the cut off date. For this, the farmers took loans I ‘ from moneylenders at a high rate of interest by mortgaging agricultural land. The land of farmers who could not pay back the loan was seized by money-lenders.