What was the sharecropping arrangement drawn up between the landlords and the peasants after the development of synthetic indigo.

According to the long-term contract, the peasants were forced to plant fifteen percent of their holdings with indigo and pay the entire harvest as rent.Now, with the development of synthetic indigo in Germany, the British landlords did not want indigo from these plantations. Hence, the shrewd landlords decided to release the peasants of Champaran from the fifteen percent arrangement on the payment of a compensation. Development of synthetic indigo would lead to an increase in the price of natural indigo.

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 When, the landlords learned

that Germany had developed
synthetic indigo. They, thereupon,
obtained agreements from the
sharecroppers to pay them
compensation for being released
from the 15 per cent arrangement.
The sharecropping arrangement
was irksome to the peasants, and
many signed willingly. Those who
resisted, engaged lawyers; the
landlords hired thugs. Meanwhile,
the information about synthetic
indigo reached the illiterate peasants
who had signed, and they wanted
their money back.
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