Under the Permanent Settlement, 1793, the zamindars were required to issue pattas to the farmers which were not issued by many of the zamindars. The reason was
A
the zamindars were trusted by the farmers
B
there was no official check upon the zamindars
C
it was the responsibility of the British Government
D
the farmers were not interested in getting pattas
Correct Answer: Option B
Explanation
1. Under the Permanent Settlement introduced by Cornwallis in 1793, zamindars were recognized as landowners and were required to pay a fixed revenue to the British government.
2. The settlement also stipulated that zamindars should issue written agreements, called pattas, to the ryots (farmers/cultivators) specifying the rent they had to pay.
3. However, in practice, many zamindars failed to issue pattas.
4. The primary reason for this failure was the lack of effective enforcement or official check upon the zamindars by the British administration regarding this particular obligation. The British were mainly concerned with the punctual collection of the fixed revenue from the zamindars, giving the zamindars considerable power over the tenants without adequate oversight on tenant rights.
5. Options A, C, and D are less accurate. Zamindar-farmer trust was often low (A), it was legally the zamindar's responsibility, not directly the British government's to issue pattas (C), and farmers were generally interested in securing their tenure and rent terms through pattas (D).