Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the jotedars? a) They controlled local trade as well as money lending. b) A large part of their land was cultivated through sharecroppers: adhiyars or bargadars. c)They were located in the villages and exercised direct control over a considerable section of poor villagers. d) They prevented zamindari officials from executing their duties, mobilized ryots who were dependent on them, and deliberately delayed payments of revenue to the zamindar.

Only option a is correct. Option a and b are correct. All the options are correct. None of the options are correct.

All the options are correct.

By the early nineteenth century, jotedars had acquired vast areas of land. They controlled local trade as well as moneylending, exercising immense power over the poorer cultivators of the region. A large part of their land was cultivated through sharecroppers (adhiyars or bargadars) who brought their own ploughs, labored in the field, and handed over half the produce to the jotedars after the harvest. Unlike zamindars who often lived in urban areas, jotedars were located in the villages and exercised direct control over a considerable section of poor villagers. They fiercely resisted efforts by zamindars to increase the jama of the village, prevented zamindari officials from executing their duties, mobilized ryots who were dependent on them, and deliberately delayed payments of revenue to the zamindar.