On a school trip to Burdwan, students read two panels in an old palace. The first panel states that one raja ruled the estate when the Permanent Settlement was imposed, but under a later raja the estate prospered. This later raja helped the British during two major uprisings of the nineteenth century. The second panel states that between 1793 and 1801 big zamindaris of Bengal, Burdwan among them, bought estates at auctions in the names of other persons, while the real buyer stayed unnamed.
Which term is used for transactions like those described in the second panel?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Benami
Option (1) Jumma — Incorrect. Jumma means the revenue assessment on a piece of land, the figure given for estates put up for sale.
Option (2) Benami — Correct. Benami, literally anonymous, is a transaction made in the name of a fictitious or minor person while the real beneficiary stays unnamed. Burdwan and three other big zamindaris used it to buy back land.
Option (3) Proja — Incorrect. Proja means subjects. Ryots saw themselves as the proja of their zamindar.
Option (4) Lathyal — Incorrect. A lathyal was a strongman of the zamindar who wielded a lathi. The word names a person who used force.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.5 The zamindars resist … “Benami, literally anonymous, is a term used in Hindi and several other Indian languages for transactions made in the name of a fictitious or relatively insignificant person, whereas the real beneficiary remains unnamed.” |