Chapter Test: The Establishment of Company Power - CTET & State TET MCQ

The rajas and taluqdars were recognised as zamindars. They were asked to collect rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company.

On 12th August 1765, the Mughal emperor appointed the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal. As Diwan, the company became the chief financial administrator of the territory under its control.The company could now administer the land and revenue resources of Bengal and could utilize the revenue to meet the expanses of the Company.

The Permanent Settlement (also Premanent Settlement of Bengal) was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793. It was an agreement between the British East India Company and the Landlords of Bengal to settle the Land Revenue to be raised. Lord Cornwallis came to India as the Governor General.

After the Bengal Nawab and Shah Allam II huge defeat against Company, Shah Allam II, the Mughal Emporer appointed the East India Company the diwan of Bengal on 12th August, 1765, by signing the Treaty of Allahabad by Shah Allam II and his son Alamgir and Robert Clive. This treaty meant that the Company gets all the rights of Diwan in Bengal and their beginning of their rule in Bengal. From 1765, the Company ruled Bengal by forming Dual Government.

The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was a famine between 1769 and 1773 that affected the lower Gangetic plain of India from Bihar to the Bengal region. The famine is estimated have killed about 10 million people in Bengal.

The Company became the chief financial administrator of the territory under its control, and so the company had to think and plan the organisation of Bengal in a such a way that it could earn maximum profit out of the territory, profits that could be used to finance their businesses and wars. Thus the bengal economy thrived and progressed.

Rajas and Taluqdars being known by almost entire village used to own most of the lands, thus British officers assigned the duty to collect taxes of farm produce to the head who can surpass upon the farmers/villagers.

Grant of the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa to the East India Company by the Great Mughal Shah Alam (1765) Introduction: After Robert Clive had conquered Bengal in 1757, imposing a Nawab (governor) of his choice, the Great Mughal offered him the Diwani (civil administration) of the province.

What happened in 1770 in Bengal so that one-third of the population was wiped out?
In 1770, Bengal experienced a devastating event that resulted in the loss of one-third of its population. The correct answer is option D: Due to a terrible famine, ten million people in Bengal were wiped out. Here is a detailed explanation:
Famine in Bengal:
- Bengal suffered from a severe famine in 1770, which was one of the deadliest in human history.
- The famine was caused by a combination of factors including a failure of the monsoon, resulting in drought and crop failure.
- The British colonial policies also exacerbated the situation by promoting the cultivation of cash crops like indigo and opium, which decreased the availability of food crops.
Impact of the Famine:
- The famine had a catastrophic impact on the population of Bengal.
- It is estimated that around ten million people, which accounted for approximately one-third of the population, died during the famine.
- The majority of the victims were peasants and agricultural workers who were unable to afford the skyrocketing prices of food.
Response of the British:
- The British authorities were criticized for their inadequate response to the famine.
- They failed to provide sufficient relief measures, resulting in the loss of countless lives.
- The British East India Company, which had control over Bengal at that time, prioritized its own profits over the well-being of the local population.
Historical Significance:
- The Bengal famine of 1770 was a significant event in the history of British colonial rule in India.
- It highlighted the exploitative nature of the British rule and their indifference towards the suffering of the local population.
- The devastation caused by the famine contributed to growing discontent and resistance against British rule in Bengal and other parts of India.
Overall, the terrible famine of 1770 in Bengal resulted in the loss of one-third of the population, leading to significant social, economic, and political consequences.

British General Charles Cornwallis, the Earl Cornwallis, was appointed in February 1786 to serve as both Commander-in-Chief of British India and Governor of the Presidency of Fort William, also known as the Bengal Presidency. He oversaw the consolidation of British control over much of peninsular India, setting the stage for the British Raj. He was also instrumental in enacting administrative and legal reforms that fundamentally altered civil administration and land management practices there. According to historian Jerry Dupont, Cornwallis was responsible for "laying the foundation for British rule throughout India and setting standards for the services, courts, and revenue collection that remained remarkably unaltered almost to the end of the British era."