How did zamindars manage to retain …

The zamindars adopted various means and measures to establish their control over their zamindaris. These are as under:

(i) They adopted the strategy of fictitious sale of land. When a part of their estate was auctioned, their men bought the property by giving higher bids than others. Later on they refused to pay up the purchase money. So there was again auction. The same process of purchase was repeated. At last the state felt exhausted. It sold the estate at a low price again to the zamindar.

(ii) They created hurdles in the possession of the land if anyone from outside the zamindari bought an estate at an auction.

(iii) They transferred some of the estates in the name of women as the property of women could not be taken over.

(iv) The Lathyals of the former zamindars sometimes attacked the new buyers.