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 ?

Why Option A is correct: Following the annexation of Awadh in 1856 by Lord Dalhousie, the British administration introduced the Summary Revenue Settlement of 1856.

• Statement 2 is correct: The fundamental assumption of this British settlement was that the taluqdars (powerful landlords) were interlopers or outsiders who had seized control of the land through force and fraud, and therefore had no permanent stakes or rightful claims to the estates.
• Statement 3 is correct: The British aimed to maximize state income by removing these intermediary taluqdars and taking land revenue directly from the actual cultivators or village communities. The administration believed that directly settling with the peasants would bypass oppressive middlemen and increase the East India Company's revenue.

Why Statement 1 is incorrect:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: The British were entirely unwilling to tolerate the dominance of the taluqdars or allow rival centers of power. Upon being dispossessed of their estates, the taluqdars were systematically stripped of their weapons, and their forts were completely razed or dismantled. They were absolutely not allowed to retain their arms or military strongholds.

Concluding Takeaway: The aggressive dispossession of the taluqdars under the 1856 Summary Settlement destroyed Awadh's traditional social fabric. This socio-economic disruption alienated both the landed aristocracy and the peasantry, making Awadh one of the fiercest epicenters of the Revolt of 1857.