Q. 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?
Exp) Option a is the correct answer.
The annexation of Awadh by the British in 1856 brought major administrative and agrarian changes. The British attempted to restructure land revenue administration by weakening the power of the taluqdars, who had traditionally exercised control over large estates and local authority. These measures created widespread resentment and became one of the important causes behind the Revolt of 1857 in Awadh.
Statement 1 is incorrect: After annexing Awadh, the British not only removed many taluqdars from their estates but also took steps to weaken their political and military influence. Their forts were dismantled and their armed retainers were disbanded in many cases. The British viewed the taluqdars as centres of local resistance and therefore did not allow them to freely retain military power.
Statement 2 is correct: Following the annexation, the British introduced the Summary Revenue Settlement of 1856 in Awadh. British officials argued that taluqdars were merely intermediaries or outsiders who had usurped the rights of the actual cultivators. On this basis, many taluqdars were deprived of their estates and revenue rights.
Statement 3 is correct: The British administration attempted to establish direct relations with village-level cultivators and collect revenue without the involvement of taluqdars. This policy was based on the assumption that removing intermediaries would improve revenue administration and increase state control. However, it alienated the taluqdars, who later played a major role in supporting the Revolt of 1857 in Awadh.
Source:) NCERT- Themes in Indian History, Part- III, Page Number- 97, 98
