When was the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal? Who enforced it? What ideas worked behind its imposition?
The British introduced a new system of revenue collection in Bengal. It was called the Permanent Settlement. What was the system? It was introduced by Lord Charles Cornwallis in 1793. Under this system, the East India Company had fixed the revenue that each Zamindar had to pay. If any Zamindar failed to make the payment of the revenue in time, his estates were auctioned to recover the due revenue.The ideas behind the system: By introducing the Permanent Settlement, the British officials wanted to resolve the problems that they faced. They were aware that the rural economy of Bengal was in crisis because of the following factors: There was the recurrence of many famines. There was a considerable decline in agricultural production. The regular flow of Revenue: The need for Hour. The British officials realised the need to enhance revenue resources. This could be done by encouraging investments in agriculture and trade. Therefore they permanently fixed the rates of revenue to ensure a regular flow of revenue.
