Colonialism and the Countryside: Exploring Official Archives

The Bengal revenue system introduced

The Bengal revenue system introduced in 1793 under which revenue was fixed in perpetuity. Zamindars had to collect rent from villages and pay a fixed

Under the Permanent Settlement

Under the Permanent Settlement, zamindars were treated as revenue collectors of the state, not as landowners in the village. They often controlled man

Rich peasants in Bengal who held

Rich peasants in Bengal who held large landholdings, controlled local trade and moneylending, and used sharecroppers. They were especially powerful in

Hill folk of the Rajmahal region

Hill folk of the Rajmahal region who practised shifting cultivation, hunting, and food gathering. They depended on forests and resisted outside intrus

Settled plough agriculturists who migrated into

Settled plough agriculturists who migrated into Bengal from the 1780s, were encouraged to clear forests, and were settled in Damin-i-Koh from 1832. Th