In 1799 an outsider from Calcutta buys a large part of a Burdwan estate at a revenue auction. When his agent arrives to take charge, strongmen of the former raja beat him back. The new owner then sends a fresh party with Company papers. This time the agent reaches the villages, but the ryots will not let him in. They refuse to pay rent at his office, and the village elders send him away. The new owner never gets real possession of the land.
What explains the conduct of the ryots in this case?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → They felt bound to the old zamindar by loyalty and saw themselves as his proja.
Option (1) They feared the new owner would raise their rents as soon as he took charge. — Incorrect. Fear of higher rent is a guess. The ryots resisted because of their tie to the old zamindar.
Option (2) The jotedars of the area had paid them to keep outsiders away from the villages. — Incorrect. Jotedars often weakened the zamindar, so they had no reason to pay ryots to protect him. The resistance came from the ryots' own loyalty.
Option (3) They felt bound to the old zamindar by loyalty and saw themselves as his proja. — Correct. The ryots saw the old zamindar as a figure of authority and themselves as his proja (subjects). The sale hurt their sense of identity and pride, so they kept the outsider out.
Option (4) Their rents had been fixed for ever, so no new buyer had a right to collect them. — Incorrect. The Permanent Settlement fixed the revenue the zamindar paid the Company. The ryots' rents were left to the zamindar, so this was no reason to refuse a buyer.
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