The correct option is A British revenue settlement in Awadh that dispossessed Taluqdars..
Explanation
The Summary Settlement of 1856 was the first land revenue settlement introduced by the British administration in the province of Awadh immediately following its annexation. It represented a significant shift in the agrarian structure and revenue collection policy of the region.
Analysis
The British officials operated under the assumption that the Taluqdars (large landholders) were interlopers and intermediaries who had no permanent stake in the land, having acquired their holdings through force and fraud. Based on this Ricardian theory of rent, the British sought to bypass these intermediaries.
- Objective: The settlement aimed to settle land revenue directly with the actual cultivators or village proprietors, thereby removing the Taluqdars from the revenue chain.
- Impact: This policy led to the widespread dispossession of Taluqdars. For instance, in pre-British Awadh, Taluqdars held approximately 67% of the villages; after the Summary Settlement, this figure dropped to roughly 38%.
- Consequence: The dispossession alienated the powerful landed aristocracy. When the Revolt of 1857 broke out, these aggrieved Taluqdars joined the rebellion, mobilizing their armed retainers and peasants against British rule to regain their lost estates.
Key Takeaway: The Summary Settlement (1856) was a British revenue policy in Awadh that dispossessed Taluqdars to settle directly with cultivators, serving as a primary political and economic cause for the intensity of the 1857 Revolt in Awadh.