Political Economy of Agrarian Conflicts in India

Conflicts in India C Chandramohan dependence and reciprocal obligations, both economic and social. The landlord by virtue of his large landholdings was in a position to ensure food security for his household as well as that of his clients. He exercised full control over the clients and granted patronage to them. The clients needed the land to cultivate and farm- work for sustenance and the landlords patronage and support to help tide over crisis periods and in turn they offered their service, deference and loyalty. General protection and welfare of attached labour households was the responsibility of the landlords. The landlords were also generous enough to extend some loans to workers [Jose George 1984], Tenant cultivation and sharecropping were quite common and rents were based on customary rates [Biggs 1976].