With reference to revenue collection by Cornwallis, consider the following statements:
- 1.Under the Ryotwari Settlement of revenue collection, the peasants were exempted from revenue payment in case of bad harvests or natural calamities.
- 2.Under the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, if the Zamindar failed to pay his revenues to the state, on or before the fixed date, he would be removed from his Zamindari.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Why UPSC dropped it · explanation
UPSC dropped this question from evaluation in its final answer key.
UPSC dropped this question from evaluation in its final answer key. On the facts, Statement 2 is correct and Statement 1 is wrong: under the Permanent Settlement a zamindar who missed the fixed date lost his estate, while under the ryotwari system there was no exemption for bad harvests. The stem is also loose, because Cornwallis brought in the Permanent Settlement, not the ryotwari system.
- ✗ 1. Under the ryotwari system in the Bombay Deccan, peasants could not pay when rains failed and harvests were poor, yet collectors extracted the revenue with utmost severity. There was no exemption. Also, ryotwari was developed by Read and Munro in the south, not by Cornwallis.
- ✓ 2. Under the Sunset Law of the Permanent Settlement, if payment did not come in by sunset on the fixed date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned, so the zamindar lost his estate.
Remember · Permanent Settlement (Cornwallis, 1793, Bengal): fixed revenue, Sunset Law auction of estates. Ryotwari (Read and Munro, south India): revenue settled with the ryot, no relief for bad harvests.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part III, Ch 1 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part III, Ch 1 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part III, Chapter 1 “if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part III, Chapter 1 “When rains failed and harvests were poor, peasants found it impossible to pay the revenue.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·