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UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Paper 1, question 17

Topic: Modern history and freedom struggle

Q17

Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856 :

  1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts.

  2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders.

  3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  1. (a) 2 and 3 onlyCorrect answer
  2. (b) 1 and 3 only
  3. (c) 1, 2 and 3
  4. (d) 2 only

Solution.

Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only

  1. Statement 1 is incorrect: immediately after annexing Awadh in 1856, the British disarmed the taluqdars and demolished their forts.
  2. Statement 2 is correct: the Summary Revenue Settlement of 1856 proceeded on the assumption that the taluqdars were interlopers and outsiders with no permanent stake in the land.
  3. Statement 3 is correct: British policy aimed to bypass the taluqdars and settle land revenue directly with the actual village proprietors and peasant cultivators.