Question

Why do you think the Palayakkarars vehemently opposed the territorial rule of the British?

• A. The land from which the British wanted to collect tax revenue belonged to the Palayakkarars.
• B. They could not afford to pay the taxes levied on them by the British.
• C. The British posed a threat to the territorial expansion of the Palayakkarars.
• D. It felt unfair to pay taxes on ancestral lands to a foreigner.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (D)

It felt unfair to pay taxes on ancestral lands to a foreigner.

The politics of Tamil Nadu was dominated by the Palayakkarars and they ruled as independent authorities in their Palayams (kingdoms). They vehemently opposed the British because the land which the British wanted, belonged to these families for generations. Hence, it felt unfair to pay taxes on ancestral lands, especially to a foreigner.