Peasant Society Power, Authority and Politics
Part-1
Course name: Peasant Society-SOC-405
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Visiting Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
University of Chittagong
and
Associate Professor
Noble International University
Peasant Society Power, Authority and Politics
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Topics to be covered
Unequal Distribution of Power, Authority and Politics
Definition of power and Authority, and Examples
Types of authority
Traditional Power of Peasant Society
Charismatic leadership
Power and Authority Work Together
Structural Functionalist Analysis of Peasant Society
Encapsulation (inclusion)
Little Community (Peasant Society) and large Community (State)
Central Government Power and Authority upon Peasant Society
Peasant Society Power, Authority and Politics
Topics to be covered-2
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Factionalism
Factional Group
Case Studies of Two Villages in West Bengal
Second Village Chandipur Traditional Power and its Dynamics
Rathanagar and Chandipur Two villages Power Structure and Political
Relations
Vertical Power and Horizontal Power
Patron-Client Relationships
Patron-client Relation intensely Grow
Patrimonial Relationship and Repressive Relationship
Class Alignment
Vertical Relationship and Class Alignment
Rural Economic and Political Power and Authority
Unequal Distribution of Power, Authority and Politics
• Power and authority is unequally distributed in almost all society, but power
distribution pattern is changing based on social type
• For example, in primitive society, amount of power and authority vary
according to likewise modern society power and authority
• However the power and authority vary mainly on economy
• Descendent status also a traditional feature that is active in power and
privileges in society
• Power and authority is closely related to politics
• Today lecture is discussing and analyzing how power and authority influence
in peasant society.
Definition of Power and Authority, and Examples
• Max Weber, a German sociologist first discusses power and authority in
society and their influence to other social institutions
• Weber says,’… the possibility of imposing ones will upon the behavior of
other persons.”
• One’s own will impose to other ideas and power
• Power is a relation of subordination
• This subordination can be to a leader by his followers.
• This can be seen in primitive band society too.
Definition of Power and Authority, and Examples continue-2
• For example, primitive nomad people move from one place to another.
• Primitive clan/band movement from one place to another place is decided
by the senior person of the band
• This decision is like a political decision where senior has a power and
authority over his clan/band people
• Here power imposes over clan’s youths
• Hence the economic power and the authoritative inequality prevail even in
primitive society.
Democratic Leadership
• All society need leadership and maintains discipline and to lead the clan,
band and community
• Leader has power more than his followers
• So power and authority control analysis is important to know the inequality
of a society
• Accepted power is called authority
• Democratic society authority and power is different than dictatorial society
• Dictatorial authority forcibly imposed to mass people by leader which is not
accepted in democratic society.
Types of Authority
• Weber says three types of authority exist in society
(1) Legal
(2) Traditional
(3) Charismatic
• The legal authority has to follow a definite law and the leader needs to
implement the law
• Legal authority is always obedient/royals to law
• Law specifies rights
• A modern state has legal law and legal authority and state functions for
disciplining the society and state.
Traditional Power of Peasant Society
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Descendent power and authority based on traditional power
Powerful person authority is like a lord
Here traditional authority creates obedient to the member of the clan/band
Peasant society power and authority structure analysis is the traditional
perspective phenomenon and concept
• Customary punishment/chastisement creation of obedient force is the
character of traditional authority
• Influential Zamindars and Jotdars have gangster force for protecting them
and forcibly collect land tax if any peasants don’t pay tax
• European Vassals or tributary lords created in feudalism for maintaining land
lords authority.
Charismatic Leadership
• The third one is charismatic authoritative power
• Unequal power and magical power creates one kind of authority
• Pir-Fakirs influenced their authority upon their followers.
Power and Authority Work Together
• Weber thinks power and authority functions together that practically
prevails in society and control society
• Bendicks comments,” In history pure types’ of dominations are always found
in combinations.”
• However, Weber insisted that clear concepts are needed to analyses such
combination in terms of their legal, tradition or charismatic elements
• Democratic political society cannot be found a pure authoritative power and
control
• Rather maximum of them exist or they influence each other
• A traditional power and authority executes by a traditional leader in his
territory
• Even formal leader is elected from the traditional leader in Union Parishad
• Here his descendent aristocracy is used in electing him a formal leader.
Division of Peasant Society and Power Structure
• Undifferentiated or differentiated division of peasant society power
structure analysis is dependent on how the peasant organization is analyzed
• Hamza Alvi comments on peasant society power and authority
• Peasant society is not a separate entity like primitive society
• Rather it is a part of the state and the society
• It is linked with urban society
• Marx says,” Peasant society is exploited, but it is unimportant in politics.”
• However now peasant politics are active ad they are not separate entity
• Rather class division and economic inequality is obvious/explicit even in
Bangladesh.
Structural Functionalist Analysis of Peasant Society
• Structural functionalist thinkers divided whole entity of the society into
different parts
• The peasant society is mutually interlinked with each other
• One participant can be ignored from another one
• Peasant society division is an essential connotation; selfish conflict is not a
primary concern because every social institution is necessary and inevitable
in a society
• Marxist thinkers are dialectically related.
Types of Power and Authority
• There are four types of power and authority relationship exist in society
(1) Encapsulation (inclusion)
(2) Factionalism
(3) Patron-Client relation and
(4) Social alignment
• These are class relation power and authority concepts need to be analyzed
• To know the peasant society power structure and political structure.
Comments/Questions
Peasant Society Power, Authority and Politics
part-2
Course name: Peasant Society-SOC-405
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Visiting Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
University of Chittagong
Encapsulation (inclusion)
• Central political power in the hands of state
• Danial Throner says,” Peasant in influenced is difficulty as control power is
in state.”
• For example, rural property system is controlled by state land tenure system
• So peasant politics and power relation is determined by state and village
• Legislation is prepared by the state
• However, rural values, norms and traditions are functional in peasant
society
• Rural peasant society doesn’t have its own entity and independence
because of state power and influence on peasant society.
Sati Daha Rituals/Traditions
• Sati Daha tradition and its ritual is still exist in Joypur, India.
• Village includes in Indian state, but village tradition and culture yet not
included by state
• Universal voting behavior yet not functional in villages
• Rather rural elites influence choosing and casting votes to the election
candidates
• Lower class people have less power and authority in peasant society.
Little community (Peasant Society) and Large Community (State)
• Alavi uses the term ‘Little community (peasant society) and large community
(state).”
• Robert Red Field says,” How in describing the little community, are we to
include the fact that it is a community within communities, a whole within
other wholes/…what forms of thought are available to us conveying and
describing a whole that is both enclosed within other wholes and is also in
some part permitted by them.”
Central Government Power and Authority upon Peasant Society
• Central government power and authority is placing the peasant society
• Bangladesh UpZilla has administrative links with Thana
• Despite this, UpZilla has a representative role of villages. It is functioning for
the villages
Encapsulation/inclusion
• This mediating point is working in different ways and play the encapsulation
role
• This encapsulation influences can be seen in village economics, politics and
culture
• Rural market become active by urban commodity and agriculture goods that
are available in urban markets
• So currently peasant society has no separate full entity
• Even peasant subsistence economy is control by rural elites
• Rural elites influence cum politics or rural traditions and beliefs.
Factionalism
• Alavi gives importance to faction
• He says, “Faction application describes the most pervasive for political
interaction as it is observed in peasant societies; accounts of peasant
societies are relate with examples of functionalism. “
• Faction is important in peasant society for political activities
• Formal and informal leaders both are powerful/influential person in peasant
society
• Landless marginal peasant and share croppers are the followers of these
leaders.
Factionalism continue-2
• Alavi mention five features of faction group
(1) Peasant group is that group which formed by village faction, conflict,
(2) Political role is explicit in group
(3) Groups are not corporate body,
(4) Group leader include group members based on his (leader) own
interest and wishes
(5) Group member based on group own interest and consideration.
Factional Group
• Group is not a corporate body because group chief and group members
have separate purposes
• Group chief uses group for his expression of power
• Factionalism research is absent in Bangladesh
• Monirul Islam describes a recent faction event in his paper
• He finds multiple reasons are responsible for faction
• Patron-client relationship is functional in faction
• Faction is in extreme situation in UP election
Factional Group continue-2
• Patron-client Union Parishad (UP) relationship is based on political interest
or group resource interest
• Factional group emerges as a result of rural powerful elites factions
• Poor peasants/ people are the victims of faction
• Group leader or Mattabbor has comparatively more power, status,
authority and
• Economic advantage than other member of the group.
Case Studies of Two Villages in West Bengal
• Anthropologist Ralf Nicolas studies political aspect of two villages of West
Bengal
• Two villages are Rathanagar and Chandipur
• First village is in Methenipur district and the second one is in Murshedabad
district in West Bengal.
• There are six caste in Rathanagar village
• They are Mahisha Bramin, Baishnab. Masisha cultivators, Katlaba fishermen,
laundrymen (Dopha) and Muslim weavers
• Obedient Mahisha Bramis are influential in Rathanagar. Village Mathabbar
are from this people
• Mahisha group of people are politically active and strong
Case Studies of Two Villages in West Bengal contiue-2
• The village has political conflict so more than one group is present in this village
• The village political power and authority difference is influenced by economic
power differentiation
• This village has a Panchayet Committee who are involved in justice
• Simultaneously they also involve in Raj Panchayet and follow Panchayet
provincial law
• Rathanagor village is divided by Panchayet election leader too
• Please read the case studies detail in Manirul Islanm Khan
article mentioned the course outline
• Nicolas finds village chief is elected who has more economic power in the
village
• However, there is another person who is also influential in the village.
However, he has a clan relation with the elected village chief.
Second Village Chandipur Traditional Power and its Dynamics
• Nicolas researches second village is Chandipur (Please read the case studies
in Manirul Islam Khan article)
• There are 19 caste exist in this village
• The main groups of caste people are Bramin, Gual, weaver, mason, barber,
Chandal, fisherman, and swapper. Mauira, businessmen, Bramin and Kalura
(day labors) are not involved in agriculture
• Vhuhar Brameen has more lands than others
• They occupied 62% land of the village although they are only 16% of the
total village population.
Second Village Chandipur Traditional Power and its Dynamics continue-2
• Vhuhar Brameen are influential in the village their economic condition is
good
• However, masons economic conditions are improving in the village in last
few years
• They make plough carts. Mason also good influence in the village
• Mason group is politically active in the village.
• This village is shifting/changing/turning to patron-client relationships and
faction
• Faction relationship is acute with rural powerful Brameen people
• Chandipur has widespread its political activities at the state politics too
• Ramnarayan (Land lord, village influential chief) nominates and decides
who will be in the Panchayet committee I the village without election.
Second Village Chandipur Traditional Power and its Dynamics continue-3
• Pachayat members are nominating from Bramen family members
• However, one young person nominated from a weaving family
• This young secretary is very loyal and close to anti-party Vhumihar Brameen
clan family
• Lower caste people are very happy for selecting the secretary from their
class
• However, influential mason group people do not get opportunity to be
included in the Panchayat committee.
Rathanagar and Chandipur Two villages Power Structure and Political
Relations
• Nicolas makes comparative analysis of these two villages power
structure and political relations
• Rathanagar is comparatively stronger in economic than Chandinagar
• Rathanagar has a vertical power among followers and the chief
• Reason is group chief is higher caste and followers belongs to lower
caste.
• Vertical relations exist among the group chief and followers based on
caste although economic difference is less among the followers and the
chief of the village
Rathanagar and Chandipur Two villages Power Structure and Political Relations
continue-2
• Lower caste people contribute to village politics (faction) although they have
adverse economic position
• Here all have same voting power and caste their own vote
• On the other hand, lower caste people less contributes to politics in
Chandipur village
• Mason group has strong competition with Brameen families in their village
• Brameen and mason group people have horizontal power competition in
Chandipur
• Masons are anti-group of Brameen so vertical relation is not existed in this
two groups of Chandipur village
Vertical Power and Horizontal Power
• Vertical power exists in a society when a group formed with unequal social
status
• Here group leader (chief) and his followers have higher/lower social power
relations
• Traditional society has such vertical power relation in the village
• In Chandigar there is no political rights developed among lower class people
• They are not attractive to be inclusive in political power group
• Horizontal power relation developed when one political parties or a political
group of people is dependent on another political group.
Vertical Power and Horizontal Power continue-2
• In Chandigar, all Brameens are in higher class Brameen group, no
difference in their status
• However, all mason group people support mason group leader
• Because there is no social status difference within mason group people
• So mason group and Brameen group village politics in Chandighar is in
horizontal faction.
Comments/Questions
Peasant Society Power, Authority and Politics
part-3
Course name: Peasant Society-SOC-405
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Visiting Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
University of Chittagong
Patron-Client Relationships
• Patron-client or market –Murabbi relations
• This relationship is important and necessary to analyze rural power structure
and political relations
• Patron word derived from a Spanish word. Patron meaning donar/Murrubi
• Patron means,”… a person of power, status, authority and influence.”
• A powerful patron person can be individual who has status, power and
authoritative influence to other people
• This process can be facilitated by a person, by a group or by an institution
• For example, religious leaders (Pir-Aulia) provide spiritual support to their
supporters/followers (Murids).
Patron-Client Relationships contiue-2
• In return religious leaders get material benefits, loyalty, obedience, political
support or other benefit
• This relationship could be either written or oral, informal ad formal
• In East Africa, there is a written or oral agreement in such
exchange/relationship
• Patron-client relationship is a formal relationship, but in Bengal it is usually
informal arrangement
• This formal patron-client relationship can be found in West Europe and in
Japan
• Through patron-client relationship, Europe gets cheap labor from Africa.
Patron-client Relation Intensely Grow
• Patron-client relation intensely grow in those society where widespread
economic difference, wealth accumulation, discrimination unequal political
power and injustice in society
• Similarly these societies have limited relationship with outside world
• Patron-client relationship increases if economic security/pressure increases
• Lack of security especially if state and family is unable to provide such
support/facilities to state citizens
• Patron-clients relationship can be extended in a village for connecting rich
peasants and poor peasants and for technology implementation.
Patrimonial Relationship and Repressive Relationship
• Poor people are forced to be obedient to rich people if wealth is
concentrated to few people hands in the village
• Poor wage labor and huge loan forced marginal peasant to be dependent on
rich people
• Anthony Hall mentions two types of patron-client relationships in his article
(1) Patrimonial or guardian type and
(2) Repressive relations-exploitative relations type
• First one is spontaneous obedience and the guardianship is voluntary
• No imposition of relationship.
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Patrimonial Relationship and Repressive Relationship contiue-2
Clients/peasants were voluntary obedient to land lord in Brazil, but before
colonial period, East North Brazil relationship was forced, repressive
relations
In Bangladesh repressive relationship exists among Zamindars and
peasants/tenants
Land lords forcibly receive subversive loyalty from their tenants/serfs
Zamindar provides lands to peasants with exploitative land ax collection
The abolition of Jotdar system in Northern Bangladesh is repressive relations
with peasants
Poor peasants get agricultural land and loans from Jotdars
However they become proletariats if protest against land lords exploitation
Land lords were repressive to peasant to stop protest against them.
Class Alignment
• Factionalism and Patron-Client relation ideas are more important to analyze
rural power structure and political relations in villages
• Lower class people unable to organize and unite themselves for fulfilling
their own needs and interest
• They accept others’ leadership, but there are no relations with leaders, even
do not get materialistic benefits from leaders
• Their relationship is called vertically integrated (class alignment)
• Because they integrate with those people where there is no class interest
among them, so it is vertical relationship
Vertical Relationship and Class Alignment
• Vertical relationship is making between poor people and Jotdars. It is
because rural people are illiterates
• However, recently many poor peasants and landless labors become aware of
their own rights
• Peasants revolts against Zamindars and Jotdars many times in Bengal
• Class based alignment/integrity become important because of political
change
• Alavi and Bayers Scott observed class based group solidarity among
marginalized peasant
• These marginalized people realize that politically unite/group has no
significance if material interest is different from upper class people.
Rural Power and Rural Voting Behavior
• Nicolas study one village named Gavindapur of West Bengal in 1960s
• He analyses the election results of Govindapur
• He finds Congress Party candidate gets more votes from his
dependence/followers votes
• Communist party candidates get votes from his own relatives and friends,
kinships
• This Voting behavior emerges political dynamism in Indian villages
• The feeling of relatives among similar group of peasants indicates the
reflection of integration/alignment with other own group and relatives.
Rural Economic and Political Power, and Authority
• Tari Barash highlighted Indian Green Revolution
• He considers Indian Green Revolution is a rural agricultural and political
consciousness program
• However, agriculture technology creates class distance among peasants
• Political integration/alignment is the result of class behaviors
• Rural power and authority is the source of descendent prestige, and status,
aristocracy and
• Economic power, manpower and political connection.
Rural Economic and Political Power, and Authority continue-2
• These different power, authority, patron-clients relationship, class
alignment elements have relations with each other
• Capitalist peasant economy expands economic power authority among
peasants
• Person’s political authority is more influential if he has family status and
prestige
• Economic power adds descendent prestige and authority
• So a new political authority developed in the capitalist peasant society
because of economic power dominance over peasants.
Comments/Questions