Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
Jotedars were rich peasants in Bengal. They owned big plots of land sometimes running into thousand of acres of land. They controlled local trade and commerce including the money lending business. They had great influence on the local village population. They were regarded more powerful than the Zamindars even. Following are the main reasons for the high status of Jotedars.
1.The Jotedars controlled trade and commerce including money lending business at the local level.
2.In order to weaken the Zamindars, Jotedars would mobilise ryots not to pay or delay payment towards land revenue.
3.The Jotedars opposed the moves of Zamindars to increase the Jama of a village.
4.The Jotedars lived in villages only. Hence they were in a better position to interact with and influence the peasants.
5.Jotedars were rich and owned big areas of land under cultivation. Many a time they would buy estates of Zamindar. That would be auctioned due to failure to pay up land revenue.
What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?
How did the Paharias respond to the coming of outsiders?
How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
In what way was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of the Santhals?
Why were many zamindaris auctioned after the Permanent Settlement?
What explains the anger of the Deccan ryots against Fig. 10.20 the moneylenders?
On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark out the areas described in this chapter. Find out whether there were other areas where the Permanent Settlement and the ryotwari system were prevalent and plot these on the map as well.
Why did the Santhals rebel against British rule?
How did zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?
Why did the mutinous sepoys in many places turn to erstwhile rulers to provide leadership to the revolt?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
What did the Muslim League demand through its resolution of 1940?
What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
Discuss the evidence that indicates planning and coordination on the part of the rebels.
What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
Why did some people think of Partition as a very sudden development?
How was the term minority defined by different groups?
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
What steps did the British take to quell the uprising?
How was the term minority defined by different groups?
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
Examine how concerns of defence and health gave shape to Calcutta.
Why is Partition viewed as an extremely significant marker in South Asian history?
Discuss the extent to which religious beliefs shaped the events of 1857.
Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?