Question

Compare the account of the zamindars in “the Fifth Report” with that in “Peasants, Zamindars and the State.”

Answer 1

Basis	Zamindars in “Peasants, Zamindars and the State”	Zamindars in “the Fifth Report”
Position	Zamindars were powerful local landholders.	Many zamindars are shown as financially weak.
Main role	They collected revenue and exercised authority over villages.	They struggled to pay revenue to the Company.
Power	They had social, economic and political influence.	Their power was reduced when estates were auctioned.
Relation with the state	They worked as important intermediaries in the Mughal revenue system.	They were under pressure to pay fixed revenue to the Company.
Economic condition	Many zamindars were wealthy and influential.	Some old zamindar families became poor or lost their estates.
Overall picture	They appear as an important and powerful rural group.	They appear as a group facing decline and financial difficulties.

Conclusion:

The two accounts are quite different. In “Peasants, Zamindars and the State,” zamindars are shown as powerful local figures, while the Fifth Report shows many of them as weakened by revenue demands and the auction of their estates.