The correct option is 2 and 3 only
Explanation
The Jotedars were a class of rich peasants in Bengal who consolidated their power in the countryside during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Their rise is closely linked to the structural changes introduced by the Permanent Settlement (1793), where they often held more effective local power than the Zamindars.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: Jotedars were not prohibited from engaging in trade or moneylending. On the contrary, a significant portion of their power stemmed from their involvement in local trade and moneylending. They exercised immense control over the poorer cultivators by providing loans and controlling the village markets.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Jotedars possessed vast areas of land, often extending over thousands of acres. They did not cultivate this land themselves; instead, they employed sharecroppers (known as adhiyars or bargadars). These sharecroppers brought their own ploughs and labour, and handed over half of the produce to the Jotedars after the harvest.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Unlike Zamindars, who often lived in urban areas (absentee landlords), Jotedars lived in the villages and had direct influence over the ryots. They frequently resisted the authority of the Zamindars by preventing zamindari officials (amlah) from collecting rent, mobilizing ryots to delay payments, and purchasing the Zamindar's estates when they were auctioned for failure to pay revenue.
Key Takeaway
Jotedars were powerful village-based landholders in Bengal who undermined the authority of Zamindars by controlling local trade and moneylending, utilizing sharecroppers (adhiyars) for cultivation, and mobilizing the peasantry against zamindari revenue collection.