1. Meaning of Agrarian Class Structure
Definition and Key Distinctions
Definition:
Agrarian class structure refers to the system of social groupings in rural society formed on the basis of their relationship to land — who owns it, who controls it, who cultivates it, and who earns from it.
Key Difference from Caste:
- Caste is ascribed by birth (unchangeable).
- Class is economic (can change).
- In pre-British India, caste and agrarian status often overlapped — upper castes owned land, lower castes cultivated.
- Modern agrarian class structure is shaped more by economic forces.
Pre-British India:
- Village self-sufficiency limited class visibility.
- The jajmani system linked castes in mutual (though unequal) service exchange.
- Zamindars, jagirdars, and courtiers formed a class above subjects, but the caste framework overshadowed it.
Free. All OPSC Sociology Paper I and Paper II notes, with mains PYQs.
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- Meaning of Agrarian Class Structure
- Example: Jajmani System
- Emergence of Agrarian Classes — British Period
- Examples: Permanent Settlement and Subinfeudation
- Commercialisation of Agriculture and Destruction of Artisans
- Colonial Agrarian Class Structure — Hamza Alavi
- Post-Independence Land Reforms — Overview
- Example: West Bengal — Operation Barga
- Example: Rajasthan — Partial Success of Land Reform
- Yogendra Singh — 7 Key Trends Post Land Reforms
- Green Revolution and Class Differentiation (1960s–70s)
- Example: Bullock Capitalism — Rudolph & Rudolph
- Example: Reverse Tenancy — New Class Dynamic Post-GR
- Daniel Thorner (1973) — Malik / Kisan / Mazdoor
- Andre Beteille — Ownership / Control / Use
- Bardhan & Rudra — Labour Attachment Types
- Jan Breman — 'Footloose Labour'
- D.N. Dhanagare — Five-Fold Classification
- Utsa Patnaik — Labour Perspective (Haryana Study)
- Kathleen Gough — Capital Perspective (Tamil Nadu Study)
- Globalisation and Agrarian Class Structure (Post-1991)
- Recent Trends in Agrarian Class Structure
- Quick Revision — All Thinkers at a Glance
- Q: 'Agrarian class structure has been undergoing changes due to modern forces.' Critically examine. (UPSC Sociology 2025, Paper II)
- Conclusion — Agrarian Class Structure in India