The correct option is If payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned..
Explanation
The "Sunset Law" was a specific regulation associated with the Permanent Settlement (Zamindari System), introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. This system fixed the land revenue demand in perpetuity, designating Zamindars as the owners of the land subject to regular tax payments to the East India Company.
Detailed Analysis
To ensure the punctual collection of the fixed revenue, the British administration enforced strict deadlines. The "Sunset Law" stipulated that:
- Strict Deadline: The revenue had to be deposited in the government treasury by sunset on a specific due date.
- Consequence of Default: If the payment was not received by this precise time, the Zamindar was declared a defaulter. Consequently, their Zamindari rights were liable to be seized and the estate auctioned to the highest bidder to recover the arrears.
This law was rigorous and inflexible, leading to the dispossession of numerous traditional Zamindars who failed to meet the strict timelines due to crop failure or delays in rent collection from peasants (ryots).
Why other options are incorrect:
- Revenue collection from the ryots had to be deposited in the treasury daily before sunset.: The law concerned the payment from the Zamindar to the Company, not daily deposits from ryots.
- All judicial proceedings regarding revenue disputes had to be settled before sunset.: It was purely an administrative revenue rule, not related to the timing of judicial proceedings.
- The revenue rates were liable to be revised at the sunset of every fiscal year.: Under the Permanent Settlement, revenue rates were fixed forever and were not subject to annual revision.
Key Takeaway: The Sunset Law was a mechanism within the Permanent Settlement of 1793 ensuring that failure to pay revenue by the specified sunset resulted in the auctioning of Zamindari estates.