Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856: 1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts. 2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders. 3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Option (A) — 2 and 3 only

• After the annexation of Awadh in 1856, the British conducted a Summary Settlement that dispossessed the taluqdars of their estates, treating them as interlopers or middlemen rather than legitimate landholders.
• The British policy aimed to establish direct revenue collection from the peasants by eliminating the taluqdari intermediary layer, based on the assumption that taluqdars were outsiders who had usurped peasant rights.
• The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates, and crucially, they were also disarmed and their forts were destroyed. They were not allowed to retain their arms and forts, making statement 1 incorrect.

• 1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts: Incorrect. The British not only dispossessed the taluqdars but also disarmed them and demolished their forts, which was a major source of resentment leading to the 1857 revolt.
• 2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders: Correct. The Summary Settlement treated taluqdars as interlopers who had illegally seized land from the peasants.
• 3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars: Correct. The British policy was to bypass the taluqdari system and collect revenue directly from cultivating peasants.