Chapter 9 of the Class 12 History is Colonialism and the Countryside which discusses British Colonialism and its impacts on the countryside. The chapter includes so many subparts like Colonialism, Colonial Policies and Land Revenue, Transformation of Agrarian Structure, Social Impact of Colonialism, and Resistance and Rebellion. Colonialism is a policy where a dominating country attempts to gain the political and economic power of another country.
In this article, we are going to discuss Class 12 History Chapter 9: Colonialism and the Countryside in detail.
Colonialism and the Countryside
In this chapter, we explore the impact of colonial rule on rural communities. We delve into the experiences of various groups, including zamindars in Bengal and indigenous communities like the Paharias and Santhals in the Rajmahal hills. Moving to the Deccan, we examine how the English East India Company established its authority in rural areas, implemented revenue policies, and the implications of these policies for different segments of society.
State-imposed laws have profound effects on people’s lives, influencing wealth distribution, land ownership, and economic activities. Peasants often navigate these laws to access resources or seek redress for grievances. Despite being subject to legal frameworks, people also resist unjust laws by asserting their own sense of justice. In this way, they shape the application and impact of laws, altering their outcomes.
We also explore the challenges historians face in interpreting these historical narratives. Sources such as revenue records, surveys, travel journals, and reports provide insights into rural life under colonial rule. However, historians encounter difficulties in interpreting these sources due to biases, incomplete information, and differing perspectives.
The Bengal And Zamindars
1.1 An auction in Burdwan:
In 1797, an auction took place in Burdwan where several estates held by the Raja of Burdwan were being sold due to accumulated arrears in revenue payment. Despite the public auction, over 95% of the sales turned out to be fictitious, with the raja’s servants and agents buying the lands on his behalf, allowing him to retain control over his zamindari.
1.2 The problem of unpaid revenue:
The Permanent Settlement introduced by the British aimed to resolve economic crises by fixing revenue demands permanently. However, high initial demands, depressed agricultural prices, and inflexible payment schedules led to zamindars frequently defaulting on payments. This led to a shift in power dynamics in rural Bengal.
1.3 Why zamindars defaulted on payments:
Various factors contributed to zamindars’ failure to pay revenue, including high initial demands, depressed agricultural conditions, and loss of autonomy due to Company control. This resulted in a backlog of unpaid revenue and increased tension between zamindars and ryots.
1.4 The rise of the jotedars:
While zamindars struggled, a class of rich peasants known as jotedars consolidated power in villages. They controlled vast lands, engaged in local trade, and lent money, weakening zamindari authority and often resisting their attempts to increase revenue demands.
1.5 The zamindars resist:
Zamindars devised strategies to survive, including fictitious sales and resistance to outside buyers at auctions. Despite challenges, their power strengthened over time due to changing economic conditions and flexible revenue rules.
1.6 The Fifth Report:
The Fifth Report, submitted to the British Parliament in 1813, documented changes in Bengal’s rural administration. However, recent research indicates that it may have exaggerated the decline of zamindari power, highlighting the need for critical examination of official reports.
Overall, these sections provide insight into the complexities of rural Bengal under colonial rule, highlighting the struggles and strategies of different social groups amidst economic and administrative changes.
The How and The Plough
2.1 In the Hills of Rajmahal
- Buchanan’s encounter with hostile hill folk in the early 19th century.
- Description of Paharias: forest dwellers practicing shifting cultivation.
- Relationship with forests: sustenance, livelihood, identity.
- Conflict with settlers due to forest clearance for agriculture.
- British policy: forest clearance, extension of settled agriculture, pacification attempts.
- Fragile peace, breakdown, and Paharias’ suspicion of British intrusion.
2.2 The Santhals: Pioneer Settlers
- Santhals’ arrival in Bengal in the 1780s; hired by zamindars for cultivation.
- British invitation to settle in Jangal Mahals due to Paharias’ resistance.
- Settlement in Rajmahal hills; rapid expansion, demographic change.
- Creation of Damin-i-Koh; Santhals become settled peasants.
- Paharias pushed deeper into hills; impact on livelihoods, culture.
2.3 Accounts of Buchanan
- Buchanan’s role as an employee of the East India Company.
- Specific instructions, objectives of his journeys.
- Focus on natural resources, commercial interests.
- Buchanan’s observations on landscapes, resources, local practices.
- Critique: Buchanan’s vision influenced by Company’s priorities and Western notions of progress.
Revolts In The Countryside – The Bombay Deccan
In the Bombay Deccan countryside during the colonial period, significant changes were witnessed, notably through peasant revolts that erupted as expressions of anger and dissatisfaction. These revolts offer insights into the grievances of the rural populace, shedding light on their hidden experiences. One such revolt occurred in 1875, originating in Supa, a market village in present-day Pune district.
The revolt targeted shopkeepers and moneylenders, with ryots (peasants) demanding the surrender of account books and debt bonds, which they subsequently burnt. This pattern repeated in neighboring areas, leading to the terrorization of moneylenders who fled their villages, leaving behind property.
The underlying causes of such revolts are rooted in agrarian changes under colonial rule, notably the imposition of new revenue systems. Unlike the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, the Bombay Deccan saw temporary revenue settlements. Influenced by economic theories like David Ricardo’s, colonial officials aimed to maximize land revenue, leading to the introduction of the ryotwari settlement, where revenue was directly settled with the ryot.
However, these revenue demands often proved exorbitant, driving peasants into debt. The situation worsened with falling agricultural prices and a devastating famine in the 1830s. Peasants became increasingly indebted, relying on moneylenders for survival. While there were brief periods of economic recovery, such as the cotton boom in the 1860s, prosperity eluded most peasants who found themselves sinking deeper into debt.
The cotton boom initially provided access to credit for ryots, but as the boom subsided and cotton prices fell, credit dried up, exacerbating peasants’ plight. Moreover, the increase in revenue demands further burdened them, pushing them deeper into debt. The refusal of moneylenders to extend loans intensified ryots’ resentment, as they perceived moneylenders’ actions as unjust and exploitative.
Moneylenders’ practices, such as charging exorbitant interest rates and manipulating laws to their advantage, further fueled ryots’ grievances. The introduction of deeds and bonds, symbolic of the oppressive system, deepened peasants’ distrust of the colonial regime. Peasants associated their suffering with these legal instruments, which they often signed without understanding, fearing the written word but compelled by necessity.
Overall, the peasant revolts in the Bombay Deccan and the underlying grievances highlight the impact of colonial policies on rural communities, particularly in exacerbating debt, dependence on moneylenders, and perceptions of injustice and exploitation.
The Deccan Riots Commission
When the peasant revolt spread in the Deccan region, the Government of Bombay initially downplayed its significance. However, due to concerns stemming from the memory of the 1857 rebellion, the Government of India pressured Bombay to initiate an inquiry. This led to the establishment of a commission tasked with investigating the causes of the riots. The resulting report, known as the Deccan Riots Report, served as a valuable resource for historians, as it comprised a variety of sources, including statements from ryots, sahukars (moneylenders), eyewitnesses, and statistical data on revenue rates, prices, and interest rates.
It’s important to acknowledge that these sources are official and reflect the perspectives and priorities of the authorities involved. For example, the commission was specifically directed to assess whether government revenue demands were responsible for the revolt. Despite presenting evidence to the contrary, the commission concluded that the government’s demands were not the primary cause of peasant anger, attributing blame instead to the moneylenders. This tendency to absolve the colonial government of responsibility for popular discontent is a recurring theme in official records.
While official reports provide valuable insights into historical events, they must be approached with caution and supplemented with evidence from other sources such as newspapers, unofficial accounts, legal records, and oral histories. By cross-referencing and contextualizing these sources, historians can construct a more comprehensive understanding of past events.
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Chapter 9 Colonialism and the Countryside- FAQs
What is the summary of colonialism and the countryside?
The book highlights the exploitative practices of the colonial administration, such as the imposition of high land revenue and the monopolization of the market. It sheds light on the struggles faced by the rural population and their resistance against colonial oppression.
How does colonialism shape the world we live in?
Colonialism’s impacts include environmental degradation, the spread of disease, economic instability, ethnic rivalries, and human rights violations—issues that can long outlast one group’s colonial rule.
What is the main point of colonialism?
In most cases, the goal of the colonizing countries is to profit by exploiting the human and economic resources of the countries they colonized. In the process, the colonizers—sometimes forcibly—attempt to impose their religion, language, cultural, and political practices on the indigenous population.
What is the key concept of colonialism?
Colonialism, as distinguished from imperialism, is generally defined as the appropriation, occupation, and control of one territory by another. ” Colonialism is a system of domination and value based on the belief that the subjugated people are inferior to the colonizers.
What are the three colonial settlements?
In the early 1600s, in rapid succession, the English began a colony (Jamestown) in Chesapeake Bay in 1607, the French built Quebec in 1608, and the Dutch began their interest in the region that became present-day New York.
What is an example of a colonialism?
This may include the arrival of settlers from the colonizing country, but not necessary. For example, the eastern seaboard of North America was colonized by England, central America was colonized by Spain, and Siberia was colonized by Russia. These are all examples of colonialism.
Which country colonized India first?
The Portuguese Empire established the first European trading centre at Quilon (Kollam) in 1502. It is believed that the colonial era in India started with the establishment of this Portuguese trading centre at Quilon.
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