Where was the 'Summary Settlement' of 1856 imposed?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Awadh
After the annexation of Awadh, the first British revenue settlement there, known as the Summary Settlement of 1856, treated the taluqdars as interlopers and removed them wherever possible.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.3 Firangi raj and the end of a world … In Awadh, more than anywhere else, the revolt became an expression of popular resistance to an alien order. The annexation displaced not just the Nawab. It also dispossessed the taluqdars of the region. The countryside of Awadh was dotted with the estates and forts of taluqdars who for many generations had controlled land and power in the countryside. Before the coming of the British, taluqdars maintained armed retainers, built forts, and enjoyed a degree of autonomy, as long as they accepted the suzerainty of the Nawab and paid the revenue of their taluqs. Some of the bigger taluqdars had as many as 12,000 foot-soldiers and even the smaller ones had about 200. The British were unwilling to tolerate the power of the taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the taluqdars were disarmed and their forts destroyed. The British land revenue policy further undermined the position and authority of the taluqdars. After annexation, the first British revenue settlement, known as the Summary Settlement of 1856, was based on the assumption that the taluqdars were interlopers with no permanent stakes in land: they had established their hold over land through force and fraud. The Summary Settlement proceeded to remove the taluqdars wherever possible.…” |