Under which Viceroy was the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793 introduced?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Charles Cornwallis.

The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was introduced in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis during his tenure as the Governor-General of India. This system was designed to ensure a fixed revenue demand from the farmers to the British government, giving Zamindars (landowners) the responsibility to collect taxes.

Information Booster:

• Introduced by: Lord Cornwallis (1793)

• Main Features:

  • Zamindars acted as intermediaries.

  • Fixed land revenue, collected by zamindars.

  • Peasants exploited; high rents.

• Impact:

  • Encouraged absentee landlords.

  • Exploitation of peasants.

• Introduced by: Holt Mackenzie (1822)

• Main Features:

  • Revenue assessed at the village or Mahal level.

  • Shared responsibility among village communities.

• Impact:

  • Exploited peasants; little investment in land.

  • Somewhat flexible but still harsh for farmers.

• Introduced by: Thomas Munro (1799)

• Main Features:

  • Direct collection of taxes from individual peasants.

  • Fixed land revenue per acre.

• Impact:

  • Heavy tax burden; many peasants went into debt.

  • Limited protection for farmers during bad harvests.

Additional Knowledge

• John Shore was the Governor-General of India from 1793 to 1798 but did not introduce the Permanent Settlement.
• Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General from 1848 to 1856 and is known for annexing Indian territories through the Doctrine of Lapse.
• Phillip Francis was a member of the Council of the Governor-General of India but had no direct involvement in the Permanent Settlement..