UPSC CSE Prelims
Revolt of 1857 Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 — Incorrect. Prior to annexation, Awadh's taluqdars maintained private armies and forts. After the British takeover in 1856, they were not merely dispossessed — they were also disarmed and their forts completely destroyed. The statement wrongly claims they were "allowed to retain their arms and forts."

Statement 2 — Correct. The first British land revenue settlement in Awadh was the Summary Settlement of 1856, explicitly based on the assumption that taluqdars were "interlopers" (outsiders/intruders) who had no permanent or hereditary stakes in the land — allegedly having seized control through force and fraud.

Statement 3 — Correct. The primary objective of the Summary Settlement was to bypass the taluqdars entirely and settle land revenue directly with the actual cultivators (peasants/ryots). British land revenue officers believed this would:

• Reduce peasant exploitation
• Increase state revenue streams

Key Connection: The dispossession and humiliation of taluqdars under this policy was one of the major causes of the 1857 Revolt — they joined the rebellion en masse to reclaim their lost estates and honour.