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?

Question

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?

Quintessence Classes · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only. Detailed Analysis of the StatementsThe British annexed Awadh in 1856 on the grounds of "maladministration" by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Immediately following the annexation, they introduced radical administrative and land revenue reforms that profoundly disrupted the social order, directly contributing to the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857.Statement 1 is incorrect: While the taluqdars (hereditary landlords) were indeed dispossessed of their estates, they were not allowed to retain their arms and forts. The British ordered the immediate disarming of the population, which included dismantling the forts of the taluqdars and confiscating their weapons to eliminate any potential military resistance to British rule.Statement 2 is correct: In 1856, the British introduced the Summary Settlement of Revenue. This settlement was built on the ideological assumption that the taluqdars were usurpers and "outsiders" who had acquired their land through force or fraud, lacking any organic, traditional right to the soil.Statement 3 is correct: Driven by the Utilitarian philosophy and the "Ryotwari" mindset of the British administration (championed by officials like James Thomason), the British believed that removing the taluqdars would benefit the actual tillers of the soil. They aimed to settle revenue directly with the primary cultivators (peasants), expecting this would increase state revenue while relieving the peasants from exploitation by middlemen.The Historical Irony: In reality, the Summary Settlement did not help the peasants. While it stripped the taluqdars of power, it significantly increased the tax burden on the peasants and subjected them to rigid, inflexible British revenue collection. When the 1857 Revolt broke out, the peasants of Awadh actually joined forces with their displaced taluqdars to fight the British.

Answer

1 and 3 only

Answer

1, 2 and 3

Answer

2 only

Answer & Explanation

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UPSC CSE 2026 Prelims

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