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The Deccan Riot’s Commission and its Report:

• The Government of Bombay set up a Commission to investigate a riot in Deccan.
The Commission held enquirers in district where riot spread, recorded statements
of ryots, sahukars and eyewitnesses, compiled data on revenue rate, interest rate
in different regions and collated reports sent by district collectors. Report of
Commission was tabled in British Parliament in 1878.
• This report reflected the official thinking of colonial government. It came to one of
the conclusion that peasants were angered by moneylenders, not by revenue
demand of the company. It shows that the colonial government was reluctant to
admit that popular discontent was against the governments action. Official reports
are the invaluable source of reconstruction of history but they need to juxtaposed
with other evidences also.

Cotton and its Global Condition:

• The American civil war broke in 1861. Due to war, cotton export to Britain
decreased very much. To reduce dependence on America, cotton cultivation was
promoted in India.
• Export merchants gave money to urban sahukars who in turn gave to rural
moneylenders to secure the produce. So now the peasant had access to money
easily and due to this, cotton production increased rapidly. But this brought
prosperity to rich peasants mostly and for small peasants it led to heavier debt. By
1862 over 90 percent of cotton imports into Britain were coming from India.
• When in 1865 civil war ended, export of cotton resumed, prices of cotton and
demand of cotton from India decreased. Thus merchants, sahukars and
moneylenders were not extending credit to peasants, instead they demanded
repayment of debts. At the same time revenue demand was also increased from
50 to 100 percent.

Class 12 History Notes Chapter 10 Important terms:

• Mahals: Estates owned by big zamindars who were called Raja locally.
• Raja: It is the term for Monarch but often refers to the big Zamindars in their
respective local areas.
• Taluqdars: The owners of Taluq, taluq stood for piece of land or territorial unit.
• Ryots: Ryots means peasants.
• Jotedars: Rich peasants often owning large farmlands. They often controlled
moneylending and trade at local levels. Sometimes village headman was also
called Jotedar.
• Zamindar: The chain between farmer and the company in the system called
permanent settlement. Zaminadars were responsible for collection of land revenue
and depositing the same to the Company. They lived life of comfort and luxury.
• Amla: Official of Zamindar who would maintain record and collect revenue from
villages.