Peasant Classes and Social Structure in Bangladesh
part-1
Course name: Peasant Society, SOC 405
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Post Doctoral Fellow
York University, Canada
Visiting Associate Professor
University of Chittagong
And
Associate Professor
Noble International University , USA
Peasant Classes and Social Structure in Bangladesh
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Topics to be covered
Purpose of Study Peasant Class
Changing Class System and Mohajons, Land Slaves and Land Lords
Feudal agricultural system and emergence of capitalism
Lenin and Mao Themes
Lenin Six Classes in Capitalist Agriculture Society
Mao Satung Five Category Classes in China Agriculture Society
Peasant Class Classification in Indian Context
Agriculture Structure in Rural Bangladesh
Peasants Classification Other than Lands
Peasants Classification Based on Multiple Criteria
Wester Gard Peasant Classification
Peasant Classification based on Surplus Production and Labor Exploitation
Eric Yensen Peasant Classifications
Eric Yensen Peasant Classifications based on Land Ownership
Anowarullah Choudhury Peasant Classifications
Peasant Classes and Social Structure in Bangladesh
Topics to be covered continue-2
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Social Stratification Based on Religion/Religious Traditions
Khandan class (Anowarullah)
Bangladesh Agriculture and its Structural Dynamism and their main Focus
Inequality among Peasants
Social Polarization Process in Capitalist Society
Batta Chargi Class Classification
Toddor Shanin Phenomenon
Shanin Theory
Reasons of Social Dynamics in Peasant Society
Substantive (Basic) Change
Shanin theory in Bangladesh context
Wester Gard observation in Bangladesh Context
Purpose of Study Peasant Class
• Class system is very important in peasant social structure analysis in
Bangladesh
• Class system is discussed for two purposes: Class structure is changing as
well as peasant society structure is changing in Bangladesh
• The term social class is related with Karl Marx theory
• He analyzed class system from historical materialism perspective
• He uses historical production elements to understand agriculture social
structure
Changing Class System and Mohajons, Land Slaves and
Land Lords
• Class system change: Class system is changing with the change of
agricultural production relationships
• For example, in pre-capitalist society (slavery system, feudalism) there exist
peasants, land –slaves and land-lords. They are the main features of
agricultural and land tenure system
• Slavery existed in society before emerging marginal peasants in feudal
society
• Through credit system, marginal peasants become agricultural slaves
emerged in pre-industrial society
Feudal agricultural system and emergence of capitalism
• Mohajons, land slaves and land lords emerged with the importance of
feudal agricultural system
• A new class system has developed with the emergence of capitalism
• Labor become commodity, expansion of markets and abolition of feudalism
are the main components of capitalistic society
• Landless people evolved in this new social structure
• Landless people sell their labor in society for their livelihood
• Rich farmers emerged who are involved in agriculture production produced
for markets
• Capitals are accumulating in the hands of land lords
Feudal Agricultural System and Emergence of Capitalism continue-2
• However, Marx did not mention where the location of marginal peasants is
and middle class peasants exists in the society or in new agricultural society
• Kawisky says, “Centralization of means of production is the main character
of capitalism, but in case of land, it is different because lands are sparsely
located and fragmented
• Backward agricultural sector become problematic in capitalistic society.
Lenin and Mao Themes
• Lenin and Mao critically observe and analyze capitalism and agricultural
social structure
• Capitalistic relationship developed before Russian revolution. Lenin
examines this new emerging agricultural production structure
• Utsha Patnayek analyzes Lenin and Mao agricultural phenomenon. He
studies social structure of Russia and China.
• Patnayek says,” The map of Lenin represent advanced agriculture structure,
but Mao thesis is applicable to understand capitalistic structure
Lenin Six Classes in Capitalist Agriculture Society
• Lenin mentions six classes in capitalist agriculture structure
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Landless
Semi-landless (very poor)
Small peasants
Middle-class peasants
Rich farmers
land lord exploiters
• Lenin map has logic of capitalism in Russia agriculture
• Capitalist farming is applicable there
• However, India and China is comparatively less progressive in modern
agriculture during 1920s, 1930s then Russia
Lenin Six Classes in Capitalist Agriculture Society continue-2
• Many labor work in non-capitalistic farms in India and China. Here many
labors unemployed for many days in a year
• According to Pat Nayek landless family is not asset less (proletariat)
• The process of landless is called pauperization, but it is not applicable to
Lenin proletariat.
• Limited working opportunity in many farms in non-capitalistic society creates
landless can be called pauperization
Mao Satung five Category Classes in China Agriculture Society
• Pat Naek emphasizes on to understand agriculture class structure and
analysis of Mao Satung
• Mao Satung classifies classes into five categories: labor class, poor peasant,
middle class peasant, rich peasant and land lords.
• There is a difference between Lenin class classification and Mao class
classification
• Lenin calls proletariats those are at the bottom of the society, but Mao calls
them labors
Mao Satung five Category Classes in China Agriculture Society continue-2
• Peasant and semi-peasant are two classes but Mao says, “They are one class
poor peasant
• Mao says, ”Land lord peasants are those people who are at the top class”
• However, Lenin says, “Capitalist or such kind of peasant landlord survive by
exploiting by imposing and collecting land tax. Here capitalism tendency is
absent. “
Peasant Class Classification in Indian Context
• Indian sociologist and economist put contribution to Indian agriculture
system analysis. Ram Krishana Mukhrjee, Daniel Throner, Utshe Pat
Nayek are prominent researchers
• Mukharjee studied six villages in Bogra six decades ago
• He divided peasants into five classes: Jotdar, rich peasant, Rayot,
unproductive land owner and Rayot sharecropper
• Throner mentions three classes: land owners, peasants and labors
Peasant class classification in Indian Context continue-2
• Pat Nayak divided peasants based on land ownerships using Indian survey
data
• Some lands are fertile and some are not. So class categories are not fair
according to land ownership
• Pat Nayek class divisions are: Land lord, rich peasant, middle class peasant,
small peasant, poor peasant, ad and less labor.
Agriculture Structure in Rural Bangladesh
• Agriculture relation and agriculture structure analysis research is important
for peasant problem identification and
• Peasant agricultural technology improvement
• Important researchers who study Agriculture structure in rural in Bangladesh
are Arance ad Budden (1978), Wood (1978)
• Choudhury (1978) Jahangir (1979)
• Scandal (1982), Shddique (1982) Arefin (1986), West Gurd (1986)
• Their research areas are Dhaka, Comilla, Jeshore, Rangpur, Questia, Tangail
and Bogra.
Agriculture Structure in Rural Bangladesh continue-2
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Arefin classify marginal farmer those have .01-.99 acres of land
However, Wester Ggard mentioned .1-2.99 acres
So peasant categories of class are problematic in terms of land
Arefin says, “A peasant can have subsistence agriculture if he has 3 acres of
land”
• However, West Gard says, “Agriculture production is dependent on land
fertility, irrigation facilities, use technology etc. which is little use by marginal
cultivators
• Peasant classifications also vary ‘legally owned land and posses land’
• The land tenure system has influenced the life of peasant
Agriculture Structure in Rural Bangladesh contiue-3
• Wood uses the term ‘effective land ownership’
• Wood does not label peasant in certain classification although he
categorized peasants on the basis of land size –group
• However, he agrees land owners can produce surplus who has 2.4 acres of
land
• Unequal land distribution and ownership of land creates peasant class
division in Bangladesh
• B. K. Jahangir classified peasants into four classes –land less, poor peasant,
middle class peasant and rich peasant-1 and 2.
Thank You
Comments/Questions
Peasant Classes and Social Structure in Bangladesh
part-2
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Post Doctoral Fellow
Course name: Peasant Society, SOC 405
Department of Sociology
University of Chittagong
Peasants Classification Other than Lands
• Pat Nayak says, “If we can include land size ownership, means of production,
labor relations, surplus production and market relation, then the
classification would be more functional and effective.”
• Pat Nayak gives importance to labor exploitation in his peasant class
classification
• However, another group of researchers classify peasants on the basis of
surplus production
• Peasant classification also depends on geography
• Anowarullah in his research shows 44% households are landless in Dhaka
district during middle of 70’s
• However, Jahangir research shows 9% and 26% in Dhaka during the same
period
Peasants Classification Based on Multiple Criteria
• West Gard Arance and Bortheren, Eric Yensen, Vilem Van Scandal and
Anowarulah Choudhury are the scholars who classify peasants with different
criteria
• They do not classify peasants on the basis of land ownership
• Because there are many barriers can be found lease land cultivators, share
croppers
• Land possession and their other land related rights
• Differences are for many reasons- population increase, lack of opportunities of
economic activities in local area
• Lack of availability of technology and technology expansion
• Anowarullah in his research villages finds 20% peasants are poor, 51% are middle
class peasants
• West Gard finds marginal peasant is 35% and subsistence peasant 32%
Peasants Classification Based on Multiple Criteria continue-2
• Siddique finds 19% poor peasant and middle class peasants 45% in
Bagladesh
• Arifin finds 6% households are rich farmers
• Lawrance and Buddin find 22% rich farmers in Kustia
• However, Siddique finds rich peasants 10% in Jessore
• There are two reasons for difference
(1) Bangladesh agriculture development emergence is different in
different parts of Bangladesh
(2) Different researchers use different definitions in their research
Wester Gard Peasant Classification
• Wester Gard classified peasants not only on the basis of land ownership, but
also include the following points:
(1) How much peasant family need work outside
(2) How much rice cover from peasant own production
(3) Besides food, how peasants fulfill their other commodity productions and consumptions
(4) How much peasant able to fulfill their family need apart from food and other basic need
Peasant Classification based on Surplus Production and Labor
Exploitation
• Arance and Bortheren, Eric Yensen, Vilem Van Scandal and Awarulah
Choudhury classify peasant class on the basis of surplus production and
labor exploitation
• Vilen Van Scandal mentions that many income source created in the village
other than agriculture because of urbanization in the village
Example
• Vilen finds one female head woman has few land and her husband work in
Navy
• She leased her land and offers sharecrop her lands to other peasants
Peasant Classification based on Surplus Production and Labor
Exploitation continue-2
• Vilen Van Scandal emphasis his class analysis based on economic
categorization
• His class classification based on food purchasing capacity and standard
of living
• Classes are:
( A) Class of people unable to collect full year food and their standard of
living is poor
(B) Class of people are able to purchase food but standard of living is poor
(C) Middle class people who are able to produce little surplus
(D) Rich people are able to maintain their family with scarcity
Eric Yensen Peasant Classifications
• Eric Yensen criticizes Marxian agriculture class system
• He identified Marxian theoretical framework has two elements
exploitation and surplus control
• His (Eric) research main features are rural employment and provide loan
• He divides peasants on the basis of rice consumption capacity in India
• He makes three class divisions among peasants.
(1) Unable to provide food to his family members and deficit exist in
family consumption
(2) Self-sufficient
(3) Self-sufficient and have surplus
Eric Yensen Peasant Classifications based on Land Ownership
Moreover Eric divided peasant class into five classes according to land
ownership too
(1) Landless
(2) poor peasant .01-.99 acres of land
(3) small farmers 1-1.99 acres
(4) Middle Class peasant 2-3.99 acres
(5) rich farmers 4 acres +
Anowarullah Choudhury Peasant Classifications
• Anowarullah Choudhury analyzes Bangladesh village social stratification
• His analysis of social stratification based on three elements:
(1). Strengthen of production ownership ability
(2) Social status and
(3) Power.
• His main three classes of peasant are based on agriculture system
(1) Land owners
(2) Share croppers or tenants
(3) Landless labors
• Anowarullah social stratification and social classification based on person’s main
occupation or main source of income
• Outside agriculture occupation are businessmen, paid employed, craftsmen,
blacksmiths, fishermen, barbers etc.
Social Stratification Based on Religion/Religious Traditions
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Social stratification can be seen in religious traditions too
Social stratification and social class division can be seen in Hindu religion
Brahmin is the higher caste
Shaha, Dhopa, Napid are lower caste. Fishermen, blacksmith and masons are
schedule caste
Aristocracy status can be also seen in Muslim families
However, now social status determined by ownership of wealth
Anowarullah finds four types of social stratification in Muslim family
Sayed, Sheik, Moghul and Pathan
Khandan class (Anowarullah)
• However, contemporary social stratification structure is Khanda, peasant
cultivators, day labors, weavers, doctors (Baiddi)
• Khandan is in first raw
• They participate in agriculture although they have enough lands.
Thank You
Comments/Questions
Peasant Classes and Social Structure in Bangladesh
part-3
Dr. Kazi Abdur Rouf
Post Doctoral Fellow
Course name: Peasant Society, SOC 405
Department of Sociology
University of Chittagong
Bangladesh Agriculture and its Structural Dynamism and their main
Focus
• Dynamism means what are the reasons structural change are happening and
what are the ideas behind changes.
• First discuss social structure change (division) and polarization process
• Undivided peasant society households have one kind of equality
• Although exchange relations are active, periphery people have less
opportunity for wealth creation and consumption
• Their relationships are localized and self-sufficient
• However, if agriculture production increase, then new class structure and
new class structure relations emerge
Inequality among Peasants
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Inequality exists among peasants
Peasant equality society is turning to/changing to class division
Marxism calls it is the process of power dynamism and differentiation
This process becomes strong in the capitalistic society
This economic inequality exist peasant society
Social Polarization Process in Capitalist Society
• Polarization Process is the prime responsible for peasant socio-economic
divide in Capitalist society
• Polarization process starts when capitalistic relations are wide spreading
• Polarization has two distinct characters:
(1) Clear economic division-rich peasant, middle class peasants and poor peasants etc.
(2) Economic inequality turns to political conflict
• However, class interest consciousness rises when these class people aware
about their own rights and politically organized
• Marx says, “Class-in- itself and class-for-itself become explicitly differentiate
people economic position
• Political conflict turn at the second stage when economic division become
explicit
• This two stage drives to social division and leads to social dynamism.
Batta Chargi Class Classification
• Batta Chargi shows it is happening in Bangladesh because of many reasons
• Batta Chargi says,” Distance relationships occur within same class of people
because people are involved in more than one occupation in the same
household”
• Inter-village migration breaks peasant unity and creates distance relationship
among same class of peasants
• Local labors paid wage by rice or in kinds (exchange other goods)
• However, outside labors wage paid by cash
• Many reasons are responsible for weakening of class solidarity among poor
peasants
• Practically class solidarity among pretty peasants or rich peasants does not
exist rather changing
Toddor Shanin Phenomenon
• Toddor Shanin thesis creates a new dimension and emerges a different
perspective to analyze social structure dynamism
• Usually the analyses comprises Marxist theme and
• Neo-populist (known as organization and production school) emphasizing
social homogeneity
• They try to explain social structural change analyzing demography and relate
demographic elements with peasant land size distribution
• Marxist analysis see capitalist rich peasant has power and
• Landless peasant agricultural labors are exploited by getting less wage from
land lords
• Because proletariats have no bargaining power among them.
Shanin Theory
• Shanin says, “Economics and demographics both factors are responsible for
changing peasant society.”
• The prime feature of Shanin theory is market relations with peasants that
influence peasant life and society
• His map is not for isolate peasant society from cultivation
• Rather his theory is applicable where market has continuously widespread
and it is essential
Shanin Theory continue2
• Shanin theory has two main dynamic elements:
(1) Centrifugal mobility- decentralized dynamism
(2) Centralized –centripetal mobility.
• Centrifugal mobility- peasant households spread from central position to
outside central point
• Centripetal mobility is shifting household mutual difference and coming to
central position-it is like de-polarization
Reasons of Social Dynamics in Peasant Society
• Shanin identifies different reasons of social dynamics in peasant society
• Peasant society dynamisms are:
• Accumulation of economic advantages and disadvantages,
• Land redistribution
• Basic (substantive)
• Biological cycle
• Random oscillation (changes)
Substantive (Basic) Change
• Substantive (Basic) change means multiple features change
• This change includes partitioning, merger, (unite), extinction and village
immigration
• Partitioning means one household breaks and creates multiple
household
• Merger means two households unite and make one household
• Extinction means all members of the household died
• Village immigration means people leave in the village and move to
another place.
Substantive (Basic) Change continue-2
• There are two types of dynamism can be seen in peasant society in biological
cycle.
(1) The possibility of economic condition improve with the increase of
family members and
(2) Continuous expansion of household
• However, this economic stability cannot stable if household members
separate after marriage although actual economic growth happened
• Shanin random oscillation is uncertain- natural disaster, market fluctuation
etc. which are accidentally happen that drives dynamism in peasant society.
Shanin theory in Bangladesh context
• Van Scandal examines Shanin theory in Bangladesh context
• He finds household are dividing or splitting
• The reasons are substantive (basic) change of market relations, change of
means of production, change of life styles and globalization
• However, substantive change creates both polarization and homogenization
• Van Scandal says, “State and market role has influence in villages
• However, maximum benefit enjoy by the rich peasants
• This practice strengthens polarization process in Bangladesh.
Shanin theory in Bangladesh context continue-2
• Land redistribution is not possible in Bangladesh
• Because community ownership is absent in Bangladesh like it is not like preRussia Revolution peasant society
• Economic benefit and disadvantage effectiveness can be seen here in
different ways in Bagladesh
• Rich people improve their economic situation by using advance modern
economy
• However, it has limitation
Wester Gard observation in Bangladesh Context
• Wester Gard discusses pauperization (going out, flowing out, escape) process
in rural Bangladesh
• Wester Guard compared contemporary social structure (1970s) and social
system with 1940s social structure
• He observes pauperization process happened more polarization in
Bangladesh
• Wester Guard finds rich peasants loss their lands because of population
increase
• For example, density of population was 668 in 1942, it was 1066 in 1957
• First average peasant farm size was 6.2 acres, then decline to 4.9 acres
• Middle class peasant family increases.
• In such situation Wester Gard do not support polarization process that
affects peasants in Bogura.
Thank You
Comments/Questions