Question

The Sunset Law was associated with ________.

• A. Zamindari System/Permanent Settlement
• B. British Navy
• C. Imperial Court
• D. Freedom Movement

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The Sunset Law was associated with the Zamindari System/Permanent Settlement. The Sunset Law was a regulation enforced during the British colonial rule of India, particularly under the Permanent Settlement system introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793. The aim of the Permanent Settlement was to create a stable revenue system where landlords, known as Zamindars, were responsible for collecting and paying a fixed land tax to the British authorities. To ensure timely collection, the Sunset Law stipulated that the tax must be paid by a specific deadline each year. Failure to comply would result in the Zamindars losing their rights to the land, which could then be auctioned off to others. This law pressured Zamindars to ensure payments were made on time, reinforcing the British administration's control over land revenue.

Answer 2

The Sunset Law was associated with the Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793) introduced by Lord Cornwallis.

Key Details:

What was the Sunset Law?

It stipulated that zamindars (landlords) had to pay their fixed land revenue to the British by sunset of a specified date, failing which their lands would be auctioned off.

This strict deadline led to widespread confiscation of estates from traditional zamindars who couldn’t meet the heavy revenue demands.

Impact:

Many old aristocratic families lost their lands, while new absentee landlords (often speculators) took over.

Peasants (ryots) suffered under heightened exploitation, as zamindars squeezed them to meet British demands.

The law exemplified the rigid and exploitative nature of the Permanent Settlement.

Thus, the Sunset Law was a harsh enforcement mechanism under Cornwallis’s revenue system in colonial Bengal.