What does this excerpt tell you about the attitude of the taluqdars? Who did Hanwant Singh mean by the people of the land? What reason does Hanwant Singh give for the anger of the people?
The excerpt reveals that the taluqdars harbored deep resentment against the British for dispossessing them of their ancestral lands. Hanwant Singh states that the British "took from me lands which from time immemorial had been in my family." Despite this anger, taluqdars maintained a code of honor, as Hanwant Singh saved a British officer. However, they were now determined to drive the British out of the country.
By "the people of the land," Hanwant Singh meant the native population of Awadh, including peasants, landholders (both big and small), artisans, and weavers who rose against British rule.
Hanwant Singh attributes the anger to the British taking away ancestral lands and driving out their King. The context adds that land revenue settlements dispossessed landholders, and foreign commerce ruined artisans and weavers, destroying their traditional way of life.
Explanation
This question tests understanding of the taluqdars' perspective during the 1857 revolt. Hanwant Singh's statement clearly expresses taluqdars' grievances about dispossession. The term 'people of the land' refers broadly to all natives affected by British policies. The reasons for anger include both political (driving out the King) and economic factors (land dispossession, destruction of traditional livelihoods).