Modern India / Annexation of Awadh — UPSC Mains Model Answer

Following annexation, the British systematically dispossessed taluqdars of their estates, forts, and arms. Unlike zamindars in Bengal who were recognised under the Permanent Settlement, Awadh's taluqdars were treated as recent usurpers with no legitimate proprietary claim. This stripping of both economic and military power generated deep resentment among a powerful landed class.

The Summary Settlement conducted by Chief Commissioner Coverly Jackson proceeded on the assumption that taluqdars were intermediaries who had encroached upon peasant holdings. The settlement sought to identify and record village-level rights, bypassing taluqdari authority. This approach fundamentally misread the social compact in Awadh, where taluqdars commanded genuine loyalty from cultivators and retainers alike.

British policy aimed to collect revenue directly from peasant proprietors, eliminating taluqdari intermediation. While framed as a pro-peasant reform, it disrupted customary credit, protection, and dispute-resolution networks that taluqdars had provided. Peasants, far from benefiting, found themselves exposed to rigid colonial revenue demands without the buffer of local patronage.

The convergence of dispossessed taluqdars, alienated sepoys, and a displaced Nawabi court created a uniquely volatile coalition in Awadh. The province became the epicentre of the 1857 revolt, demonstrating how agrarian policy errors can translate into large-scale political resistance.