Merits and demerits of permanent settlement
Answers
The following are the merits and demerits of the permanent settlement:
Merits:
1. With the introduction of Permanent Settlement, the condition of peasants began to improve and their fields began growing rich crops.
2. The development of agriculture influenced trade and commerce of the nation. Consequently, Bengal became one of the most prosperous regions in India.
3. It removed the problem of fixing up revenue annually. Moreover, the fixed revenue saved the peasants from the exploitation of the landlords.
Demerits:
1. Since the revenue was fixed it adversely affected the income of the company.
2. This settlement affected the landlords adversely because if they failed to deposit the fixed amount of revenue to the company their land was sold off.
Explaination
Merits and Demerits of the Permanent Settlement:
Scholars hold different opinions about the merits and demerits of the Permanent Settlement. Mr. Marshman has written, “It was a bold, brave and wise measure.” Whereas Mr.
Holmes writes, “The permanent settlement was a sad blunder.” In the same way several other historians hold divergent opinions about its merits and demerits.
Merits of Permanent Settlement:
1. With the implementation of Permanent Settlement the condition of the peasants improved a lot and their fields began to produce rich crops.
The improvement in agriculture also influenced the trade and commerce of the country. As a result of this all round progress, the province of Bengal became the most prosperous one.
It was also relieved from the famines Economics prosperity of Bengal helped the rise of art and literature. In this way the education and culture developed in Bengal.
2. The Government of the company was benefited a lot by the Permanent Settlement. The political advantages of the English made this settlement all the more significant.
All the landlords who became the owners of the land felt obliged to the English Government and became its true supporters as the time of revolt. Owing to the liberal view of the Government their separate category was formed and they began to earn ample of money without any effort or labour.
3. With the passage of time the rich landlords began to invest their wealth in trade and commerce. Although the government could not increase the revenue in future yet the flourishing trade enabled the English to impose some fresh taxes on the traders and thus they earned a lot of wealth through new tax levied on these landlords. Besides this, the Permanent Settlement led India towards modernisation in the sphere of revenue system.
4. It freed the English government of the problem of fixation of revenue every year. Moreover, the income of the government was fixed once for all, which enabled it to make its planning according to its resources of income. In case, the landlords did not make payment of their tax, the loss was made good by selling a part of the land of the zamindar.
5. The implementation of the permanent settlement also benefited the peasants. So far, they were forced to pay more and more to the landlords but now their revenue and also fixed through a patty agreement deed which saved them from the harassment from the landlords.
6. It not only increased the agricultural produce but also enhanced the area under cultivation.
7. So far, a large number of employees were involved in the revenue administration of the company but the implementation of the permanent settlement enabled them to devote their services to the other department of the company as there was no work in this department now.
Demerits of the Permanent Settlement:
On the other hand there are some scholars who hold the opinion that the Permanent Settlement adversely affected the interests of the landlords, peasants and the company alike. Actually, this settlement proved defective due to the following reasons.
1. The Permanent Settlement adversely affected the income of the company as the revenue was fixed quite on the low side due to lack of proper measurement.
2. It benefited only the landlords and the condition of the farmers could not be improved as much as was expected. The poor farmers continued to be the victims of the harassments of the landlords who exploited them for their own selfish motives.
3. The British government expected that with the implementation of permanent settlement the income of the company would increase tremendously but their expectations were not fulfilled.
4. This settlement also proved harm full for the landlords who failed to deposit the required revenue in the royal treasury in time. As a result, their land was sold off.
5. The landlords became indolent and led luxurious lives due to their richness. They did not pay proper attention to their lands and left them to their employees who made no serious efforts for the improvement of agricultural produce.
6. The peasants continued to be at the receiving end of the cruelties of the landlords. They continued to realise the maximum revenue from the peasants and deposited only the minimum in the treasury of the company.
7. It hurt the national feeling of the people because this system created a special class of zamindars in the country who became the true devotees of the English. This class did not support the people during the war of independence.
8. It was really a great mistake on the part of Cornwallis that he deprived the majority of the cultivators of the right of ownership of land and made the landlords owners 01 the land. Sir Charles Metcalfe writes about it, “Cornwallis instead of being the creator of prosperity in India was the great destroyer of it.”