Which of the following sentences are True of zamindars in the 18th-19th centuries?
A. They gave out loans to ryots and sold their produce.
B. They cultivated some land and gave out rest to under-ryots.
C. They paid revenue to the English East India Company.
D. They distributed the ‘jama’ over the villages.
E. Zamindars paid rents to the ryots.
Choose the correct answer from the option given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → C, D only
In rural Bengal the zamindar stood between the Company and the villages; jotedars, ryots and under-ryots each had a different role.
A. They gave out loans to ryots and sold their produce. Incorrect. It was the jotedars, rich ryots who were also traders and moneylenders, who gave out loans to other ryots and sold their produce.
B. They cultivated some land and gave out rest to under-ryots. Incorrect. It was the ryots who cultivated some land and gave out the rest to under-ryots on rent.
C. They paid revenue to the English East India Company. Correct. Zamindars were responsible for paying revenue to the Company.
D. They distributed the ‘jama’ over the villages. Correct. They were also responsible for distributing the revenue demand (jama) over villages.
E. Zamindars paid rents to the ryots. Incorrect. The rent went the other way: each village ryot paid rent to the zamindar, and the under-ryots paid rent to the ryots.
NCERT: Themes in Indian History Part III — Chapter 9: Colonialism and the Countryside (2026-27)
Fig. 9.5 Power in rural Bengal |
