Handwritten Notes of Chapter 8 - Peasants, Zamindars and the State - History - Class 12th - Humanities

Handwritten Notes 

Class 12th Humanities
History 
Chapter 8 

Peasants, Zamindars and the State

Sources of understanding the agrarian history of the Mughal period:-

1) Chronicles and documents from mughal court :- It was the major source for Agrarian society of 16th and early 17th century. Revenue records from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan dating from 17th and 18th centuries. Records of company provide us with useful description of agrarian realtions in East India. 

2) Most important chronicle - (Ain-i Akbari) -

 i) It wa sauthored by Akbar's court historian Abul Fazal 

ii) Ain-i Akbari recorded:- a) Arrangements made by the state to ensure cultivation 

b) To enable collection revenue by agenicies of state

c) To regulate the relation betweeen rural magnets- The zamindars.

3) Central purpose of Ain- a) To present a vision of Akbar's empire where social harmony was provide by a strong ruling class

b) Any revolt or assertion of autonomous power against Mughal state was in eyes of author in Ain 

 

 

Peasants -  Peasants who plough up fields, mark limits of each field for identification and demarcation with borders of earth, brick and thorns-  so thousands of fields can be counted.

- The terms used by Indo-Persian sources of Mughal period for peasants:- Raiyat (plural-Riaya) or Muzarian.

General words:- Kisani or Asami

-  Two kinds of peasants :- 1) Khud - Kashta :- These were the resident of the village in which they held their lands 

2) Pahi- Kashta:- These were the non-resident cultivators who belonged to some other village, but cultivated in other villages on contractual basis.

• People become Pahi-Kashta either out of choice - when terms of revenue in a distant village were more favourable or out of compulsion - forced by economic distress after a famine. 

 

• Seldom did the average peasant of North India possess more than a pair of bullocks and two ploughs, some possessed even less. In Gujarat, peasants possessing 6 acres of land were considered affluent.  

 In Bengal - five acres was upper limit of  an average peasant farm, 10 acres makes one a rich Asami.

• Cultivation was based on principal of individual ownership. Like the lands of other property owners, the peasant lands too were brought and sold. The cultivating peasants ploughing up the fields, would mark the limits of each field with borders of earth, brick or thorn for identification.

Irrigational and technological methods used by farmers to extend agricultural production were:-

1) The abundance of land, available labour and mobility of peasants where three factors that Accounted for constant expansion of agriculture.

2) Monsoon remained backbone of Indian agriculture.

3) Basic purpose of agriculture is to feed people. Basic staples such as - rice, wheat or  millet's were most frequently cultivated crops.

4) Areas receiving 40 inches or more of rainfall a year were generally rice-producing zones, followed by wheat and millets, corresponding to a descending scale of precipitation.

5) The artificial systems of irrigation were also devisedin :- Northern India, New Canals (nehar, nala) by the state were constructed.

• old ones like- Shahnahar in Punjab were repaired during Shah Jahan's reign.

6) Peasants used technologies that harnessed cattle energy- 

• Wooden plough assembled with an iron tip or coulter. But it did not make deep furrows which preserved moisture better during intensely hot months. 

 • A drill-pulled by a pair of giant oxen was used to plant seeds, broadcasting of seed was most prevelant method.

7) Hoeing and weeding were done using a narrow iron blade with a small wooden handle.

• Crops which were grown:- 

1) Agriculture organised around two major. seasonal cycles:-  • Kharif (autumn)

 • Rabi (Spring)

2) Most regions produced a minimum of two crops whereas some assuring a continuous supply of water even gave three crops. It ensured enormous variety of produce for example:- Mughal provinces of Agra produced 39 varieties of crops and Delhi produced - 43 and Bengal produced-  50 varieties of rice alone.

3) Jins-i- Kamil (literally - perfect crops) or cash crops such as-  Cotton, sugarcane, sorts of oil seeds- mustard and lentils were encouraged by mughal state as they brought in more revenue.

• Cotton was grown over a great swathe of territory spread over central India and Deccan plateau. • Bengal was famous for its sugar.

4) Maize introduced into India via Africa and Spain. It became one of major crop of Western India.

5) Vegetables like - Tomatoes, potatoes and chillies and fruits like - pineapple and papaya were also introduced, came from new world.

* Cultivators - Heterogeneous group - divided on  basis of caste like distinctions.  Peasants were mainly who worked as agricultural labourers. 

* A large proportion of village people were constrained by their caste being regarded as modern-day dalits.

* In Marwar - Rajputs mentioned peasants and equated with Jats who were given an inferior status in caste hierarachy. In eastern regions- pastoral and fishing caste like Sadgops and Kaivartas acquired status of peasants.

I hope you liked my notes.... if u liked it then let me know it... [comment- i liked] ... it will make me feel happy that i have helped someone...

i also have a YouTube channel for class 11th and 12th [please check it out- maybe it will be fruitful for you] 

channel name - Stud Vid  

link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9YMsUQ4_yuhfKCibwtHDQ