Which of the following features of the Permanent Settlement of 1793 is/are correct?
1. The Permanent Settlement vested Land ownership rights in the peasants
2. The Permanent Settlement vested land ownership rights in the Zamindars
3. The Zamindars had to pay a fixed amount of rent by a particular date
4. The Zamindars benefited hugely from the Permanent Settlement while the peasants suffered
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
1 only
2 and 3 only
4
1, 2 and 3
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2015
2. Statement 2 is correct: The Permanent Settlement made Zamindars the proprietors of the land in their area.
3. Statement 3 is correct: Zamindars were required to pay a fixed amount of land revenue to the British government by a specified date, failing which their zamindari could be auctioned (the ‘Sunset Clause’).
4. Statement 4 is correct in describing the consequence: The Zamindars, now landowners, benefited hugely by extracting high rents from the peasants (tenants) while paying a fixed, often lower, amount to the state. The peasants, reduced to tenants, suffered from high rents, insecurity of tenure, and lack of rights. However, when identifying the *features* of the settlement itself, statements 2 and 3 which define the structure of ownership and revenue payment are more directly describing the system’s design. Statement 4 describes the resulting impact/outcome. Given the options, B containing the core structural features is the most appropriate answer if the question focuses on the system’s design.