Over 95 percent of the sale of mahals held by the Raja of Burdwan at the auction was fictitious because:
A. The sale was done by evading the tax
B. The Raja was happy on this sale.
C. The Raja's estates had been publicly sold, but he remained in control of his zamindari
D. Many of the purchasers turned out to be servants and agents of the Raja who had bought the lands on behalf of their master.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → C and D Only
A. The sale was done by evading the tax. Incorrect. The estates were auctioned because the raja had not paid the revenue; the sale was a way to recover it, not to evade a tax.
B. The Raja was happy on this sale. Incorrect. The raja’s feelings do not make a sale fictitious; it was fictitious because the raja himself was the real buyer, through his own men.
C. The Raja’s estates had been publicly sold, but he remained in control of his zamindari. Correct. The estates were publicly sold, but the raja remained in control of his zamindari.
D. Many of the purchasers turned out to be servants and agents of the Raja who had bought the lands on behalf of their master. Correct. The Collector discovered that many purchasers were servants and agents of the raja, buying the lands on behalf of their master.
NCERT (2026-27): “1.1 An auction in Burdwan … In 1797 there was an auction in Burdwan (present-day Bardhaman). It was a big public event. A number of mahals (estates) held by the Raja of Burdwan were being sold. The Permanent Settlement had come into operation in 1793. The East India Company had fixed the revenue that each zamindar had to pay. The estates of those who failed to pay were to be auctioned to recover the revenue. Since the raja had accumulated huge arrears, his estates had been put up for auction. Numerous purchasers came to the auction and the estates were sold to the highest bidder. But the Collector soon discovered a strange twist to the tale. Many of the purchasers turned out to be servants and agents of the raja who had bought the lands on behalf of their master. Over 95 per cent of the sale at the auction was fictitious. The raja’s estates had been publicly sold, but he remained in control of his zamindari.…” |