Question

The __________ stated that if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned.

• A. Regulating Act
• B. Pitt’s India Act
• C. Sunset Law
• D. Martial Law

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The Sunset Law stated that if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned. Under this law, failure to pay land revenue by the end of the day would result in the loss of the land. This was a measure designed to enforce strict compliance with tax payments among zamindars. The main aim was to ensure timely collection of taxes which were crucial for the colonial administration's revenue system. In contrast to the other options mentioned: Regulating Act, Pitt’s India Act, and Martial Law, none specifically dealt with the auctioning of zamindari due to non-payment by sunset. The Regulating Act was related to administration and regulation of British territories in India, Pitt's India Act aimed at providing a better governance structure for India under British rule, and Martial Law refers to the imposition of direct military control over normal civilian functions of government.

Thus, Sunset Law is the correct answer.

Answer 2

The Sunset Law was indeed a part of the Permanent Settlement system implemented by the British East India Company in 1793 under the leadership of Lord Cornwallis.

The Permanent Settlement was a land revenue system introduced in Bengal, which aimed to create a stable tax revenue system by fixing the land revenue at a permanent rate. It required zamindars (landlords) to pay a fixed amount of land tax to the British, in return for the rights to collect taxes from peasants. Under this system, the zamindars were made the owners of the land, though they often didn't personally cultivate it.

The Sunset Law was a provision within the Permanent Settlement that stipulated that if a zamindar failed to pay the fixed land revenue, the land would be auctioned off, and the ownership would be transferred to the highest bidder. This law was designed to ensure that the British East India Company would receive its land revenue without delay. The term "sunset" was used because the land would be taken away from the original owner and sold, effectively marking the end of their ownership.

While the Sunset Law helped the British maintain a steady revenue stream, it also led to the dispossession of many zamindars and created instability in the rural agrarian system. Over time, the Permanent Settlement and the Sunset Law contributed to the consolidation of power among a few wealthy zamindars and commercial interests, often to the detriment of the peasantry.