History of agrarian life during the colonial period in madras presidency from 1857 to 1905 A D

Abstract

A Study of History of Agrarian life during the Colonial period in Madras newlinePresidency from 1857 1905 A.D. is an attempt to trace out the life and condition newlineof Tamil Agrarian classes. The land has been the important natural factor and is a newlinebasic development of the country. Agriculture was the occupation of the Tamils and newlinethat compelled them to assign greater veneration to that profession. It was a prime newlineneed of the people for having their food stuffs. Agriculture is the back-bone of Indian newlineeconomy it has been a highly honoured and respectable occupation. Most of the Tamil newlinepopulation directly or indirectly depend upon agriculture. It offers direct employment newlineto two third of the Indian population for both skilled and unskilled people and it is newlinenot only a provider of food, clothing, fodder, and other basic necessities of life for the newlineentire population but also raw materials was the prime for manufacturing industries newlinelike textiles, sugar, oil, spices and tobacco. It is also determined the destiny of the life newlineof the Agrarian people and their culture and customs and manners. It is also the major newlinesources of income for about three fourth of India s population. newlineIn the second half of the nineteenth century, the village population was newlinegenerally divided into Brahmins, non-Brahmins and Adi-Dravidas in the occupational newlinestructure. The Adi-Dravidas, were the out-castes, called Pariah, Pallan, Chakkiliyan newlineand Valluvan in the Tamil districts. The non-Brahmins include, other than Brahmin newlineand Adi-Dravida communities, namely, vellalas, Nadars, Maravars, Vanniyas, newlinePadaiyachis, Udayars and Idayars. It is estimated that during the period between 1881 newlineand 1901, the agricultural population represented 71 per cent of the total population in newlinethe Tamil region. Among them 43 per cent were land holders who generally belonged newlineto Brahmin and non-Brahmin communities. newline