This is how Jamindars fooled British!

India was never been an easy colony for British Empire. The establishment of British Raj in India was not that easy as colonizing any other country. Their first law, we can also call it as the first modern legal framework was used to fool them. It was during 1790’s in Kolkota their intention of getting control over the Jamindars faced hurdles as the Jamindars used the loop holes of the law to fool the East India Company.

Charles Cornwallis brought new rules under the name ‘Permanent Settlement’ to collect the revenues from Jamindars. These Jamindars had several villages under their control. They were made responsible for collecting revenues from the Ryots- Farmers working in the field under their control. Subsequently they had to pay the revenues to the East India Company. There was also a clause, what if the Jamindars did not pay the revenue to the company? According to the permanent settlement, the lands of the Jamindars who had arrears will be publicly auctioned and the highest bidder will be appointed as new Jamindar. Though several lands changed their Jamindariship the interesting part is how these Jaminadrs used the same rule of auctioning in favour of them.

One of such famous auction is of Land of Raja of Budwan. His several Estates were auctioned to recover the huge arrears. Numerous purchasers came to auction and estates were sold in auction. But the 95% of the sale was fictious. Many purchasers were the servants or the agents of the Raja. The outsiders who came to auction were beaten in Lathis by Lathyals and made sure that they wont participate. Servants or the agents of the Raja bought the land on behalf of the Raja or Jamindar. So the land continued to remain in the control of the Jamindari.