Which of the following features of the Permanent Settlements of 1793 is/are correct 1. The Permanent Settlements vested land ownership rights in the peasants 2. The Permanent Settlement vested land ownership rights in the Zamindars 3. The Zamindars had to pay a fixed amount of rent by a particular date 4. The Zamindars benefited hugely from the Permanent Settlement while the peasants suffered Select the correct answer using the code given below:?

Option 2 : 2 and 3 only

The correct answer is option 2, i.e 2 and 3 only.

• Permanent Settlements 
  • The Permanent Settlement was brought into effect by the East India Company headed by the Governor-General Lord Cornwallis in 1793. This system was also called the Zamindari System.
  • This was basically an agreement between the company and the Zamindars to fix the land revenue.
  • It was first enacted in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, this was later followed in northern Madras Presidency and the district of Varanasi.
• ​Features of the Permanent Settlement
  • Landlords or Zamindars were referred to as the owners of the land. They got hereditary rights of succession of the lands under them. Hence statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct.
  • The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished.
  • The Zamindars’ proprietorship would stay as long as he paid the fixed revenue at the said date to the government. If they did not pay, their rights would cease to exist and therefore the land would be auctioned off. Hence statement 3 is correct.
  • The amount to be paid by the landlords was fixed. It was agreed that this would not increase in future (permanent).
  • The fixed amount was 10/11th portion of the revenue for the government and 1/10th was for the Zamindar. This tax rate was way above than the prevailing rates in England. Hence statement 4 is incorrect.
  • The revenue rates were so high that a lot of Zamindars became defaulters. In time, this system proved to have disastrous effects.