question_answer

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Deeds of hire

When debts mounted the peasant was unable to pay back the loan to the moneylender. He had no option but to give over all his possessions - land, carts, and animals - to the moneylender. But without animals he could not continue to cultivate. So he took land on rent and animals on hire. He now had to pay for the animals which had originally belonged to him. He had to sign a deed of hire stating very clearly that these animals and carts did not belong to him. In cases of conflict, these deeds could be enforced through the court. The following is the text of a deed that a peasant signed in November 1873, from the records of the Deccan Riots Commission:

I have sold to you, on account of the debt due to you, my two carriages having iron axles, with their appurtenances and four bullocks ... I have taken from you on hire under (this) deed the very same two carriages and four bullocks. I shall pay every month the hire thereof at Rupees four a month, and obtain a receipt in your own handwriting. In the absence of a receipt I shall not contend that the hire had been paid.

(a) How did the peasants pay back the loan to the moneylender?

(b) What NATs the deed of hire? Explain.

(c) What light does the deed of hire throw on the relationship between the peasants and the moneylenders?

 

Answer:

(a) (i) When debts increased die peasants were unable to pay back the loan to the moneylender.

(ii) In this situation, the peasants had no option but to give all their possessions to the moneylender.

(iii) They had to surrender their land, carts and animals to the moneylender.

(b) (i) The peasant had to sign a deed of hire stating very clearly that all his possessions (land, carts and animals) did not belong to him.

(ii) The peasant had to sell, on account of the debt to the moneylender, his carriages having iron axles, with their accessories and bullocks.

(iii) A peasant had to sign a deed that lie had taken from the moneylender on hire under this deed die very same carriages and bullocks. The peasant had to pay every month the hire thereof at Rupees four a month.

(c) The deed of hire clearly shows that the relationship between the peasant?s and the moneylenders was characterized by acrimony. The deed of hire was absolutely loaded in favour of the moneylenders and the peasants were at the receiving end.