UPSC Prelims 2011 Q53: Modern History – British Administration & Economic Policies
- (a) Making Zamindar's position stronger vis - a - vis the ryot
- (b) Making East India Company an overlord of Zamindars
- (c) Making judicial system more efficient
- (d) None of the (a), (b) and (c) above
Answer: (c) Making judicial system more efficient
Explanation
Why Cornwallis's 1793 land settlement increased litigation
The Permanent Settlement (1793) by Lord Cornwallis restructured land relations in Bengal, with lasting legal consequences.
| Option | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Making the Zamindar's position stronger vis-a-vis the ryot | Incorrect | True to an extent, but this is not the specific provision most linked to rising litigation per the standard explanation |
| (b) Making the East India Company an overlord of Zamindars | Incorrect | This describes the revenue relationship, not the litigation-driving mechanism |
| (c) Making the judicial system more efficient | Correct (per key) | A more efficient/accessible judicial system that accompanied the settlement meant disputes (over land rights, revenue, tenancy) could now be more easily taken to court, increasing litigation |
| (d) None of the above | Incorrect | Option (c) is treated as correct, so this is wrong |
Note on sources: superkalam lists (d) as the key with no second source corroborating it; the bank and the standard reference agree on (c), which is used here.
Permanent Settlement, 1793:
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| By | Lord Cornwallis, Bengal |
| Effect | Fixed land revenue; Zamindars became landowners |
| Litigation link | Improved judicial access let more land/revenue disputes reach the courts |
Answer: (c) Making judicial system more efficient.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. The Zamindar-ryot power shift is a real effect of the settlement, but the key attributes rising litigation specifically to judicial efficiency.
- (b) Incorrect. The Company-Zamindar overlordship describes revenue structure, not the litigation mechanism being asked about.
- (c) CORRECT. A more efficient, accessible judicial system accompanying the settlement made it easier for disputes to be litigated in court.
- (d) Incorrect. Since (c) is treated as the correct provision, 'none of the above' is wrong.
Key point
The rise in litigation after Cornwallis's 1793 Permanent Settlement is traced to a more EFFICIENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM, which made land/revenue disputes easier to take to court.
Remember
Cornwallis's 1793 settlement: rising litigation traced to a MORE EFFICIENT judicial system, not just Zamindar-ryot power shifts.
Common mistakes
- Attributing increased litigation only to the Zamindar-ryot power imbalance, missing the judicial-access angle.
- Confusing the revenue relationship (Company-Zamindar) with the litigation mechanism.
- Not recognising that improved judicial infrastructure, not just land relations, drove the litigation rise.
Exam tip
Permanent Settlement (1793) + rising litigation = linked to a more efficient judicial system giving disputants easier court access.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra — Modern India (NCERT textbook for Class XII)
- Ranajit Guha — A Rule of Property for Bengal: An Essay on the Idea of Permanent Settlement (Duke University Press)