RAS question
Lord Cornwallis is primarily associated with which of the following reforms?
Correct answer: (A) Permanent Settlement (1793).
Lord Cornwallis is primarily associated with the Permanent Settlement, introduced in 1793 to fix land revenue permanently through zamindars.
Explanation
Lord Cornwallis is linked with the Permanent Settlement because NCERT identifies him as the Governor-General of Bengal when it was introduced. The settlement came in 1793 after Company officials debated how to secure revenue and improve agriculture. Under its terms, rajas and taluqdars were recognised as zamindars, and they were made responsible for collecting rent from peasants and paying revenue to the Company. The amount payable was fixed permanently, meaning it would not be raised later. The stated logic was that a fixed demand would give the Company a regular flow of revenue while encouraging zamindars to invest in improving land, since any increase in production would benefit them.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Abolition of Sati is not the reform associated with Cornwallis in NCERT's account of revenue settlement.
- (C) The Subsidiary Alliance System is a different colonial policy, while NCERT places Cornwallis in the context of the 1793 Permanent Settlement.
- (D) Doctrine of Lapse does not match the revenue reform described here; Cornwallis is linked to the Permanent Settlement and its fixed land-revenue demand.
Concept
This tests the land-revenue settlements of early British rule, a recurring RAS theme because these systems shaped colonial administration and agrarian rights. Cornwallis, zamindars and the 1793 Permanent Settlement are standard anchors in that topic.