Modes of Agriculture (A Study of Haryana and Punjab)

The present book examines the Modes of Agriculture in Haryana during the period of 1803-1947. It is a pioneer research work which is based on primary and secondary sources. This book gives interesting and vivid information about the modes of agriculture in present day Haryana region. During pre-colonial regime, more than 80 percent of the people lived in the countryside and were engaged in farming operations. Most of the peasants grew traditional crops such as wheat, barley, millets, pulses etc. At that time, new technology, modern implements, hybrid of cattle and imported seeds were not used in agriculture. After the establishment of colonial rule in Haryana, various changes took place in the field of agriculture.

Between 1803 and 1947, the major cities and towns of Haryana were connected with large cities and towns of India such as Delhi, Lahore, Multan, Amritsar, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Ahmadabad etc with rail and road transportation. It was chiefly due to the introduction of railways that the villages of Haryana were commercially integrated to the world market. At the same time, colonial rulers also decided to develop Punjab including the present day Haryana region as an agricultural tract. They wanted to use this primarily as an agrarian tract, as a store-house for the supply of raw material as well as wheat for England. For this purpose, they expanded canal irrigation facilities, and provided modern implements and hybrid seeds to the peasants In new scenario under colonial rule, modern techniques of cultivation and new implements also started being used in agriculture. As a result, transformation from traditional agriculture into modern agriculture started, and peasants started growing cash crops such as cotton, jute, rice. sugarcane etc. for markets.

However, the impact of commercialization of agriculture in Haryana was somewhat different in nature. It varied from region to region. In Haryana where the colonial rule came to be established much later, the impact of commercialization was less than what it was in other provinces like Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Bombay and Madras. Apart from this, the soil and geographical conditions of this region were different from the other regions of the country.

The British rulers also did not take much interest in the development of agriculture in this part of the colonial Punjab, Except the Western Jamuna canal and some tributaries, they did not develop canal colonies as they developed in other regions of Punjab. This was the main reason that most of the agriculture of this tract remained dependent on rainfall.

Besides, Haryana with its semi-arid climate region has continued to suffer from uncertainty of rains. This resulted in various horrible famines taking place in this region during colonial rule. In every famine, a large number of people and cattle died due to starvation and diseases. Eventually, economic and political policies pursued by the British government were largely responsible for starvation deaths. All policies were made in England, which were usually influenced by the interests of the metropolis. It is true sometimes the colonial government had to formulate policies against metropolis since on in some occasions they had to see the interests of the masses also. But by and large the policies were made under the pressure of the metropolis and capitalists of England.

Land revenue policy of the British affected. peasantry badly. Mahalwari Settlement was implemented in the Haryana region. Under this settlement more than one-half of the total agricultural produce was collected from the peasants. The British government preferred. collecting land revenue in cash only. Resultantly, a large number of peasants fell into debt trap. Failure of crops, famines, high demand rate of land revenue in cash, fluctuation in the prices of the cash crops as well as food grains etc. worsened the peasants' life. In these situations, peasants had to take loans from the village Banias or moneylenders. The small peasants, thus, went into the deep debt. They had to mortgage or sell their lands to the moneylenders or Banias. The colonial government made some efforts to restrict the transfer of land from peasants to moneylenders by passing some acts like Land Alienation Act of 1900, Debtors' Protection Act of 1936, Punjab Restitution of Mortgaged Land Act of 1938 etc. as well as by establishment of cooperative credit societies and co-operative banks, but all measures failed to free peasants from the agricultural debt.

Dr. Gopal Parshad is presently Associate Professor and Head of Department of History in University. College, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra. He is also working as Deputy Director (additional charge), Centre for Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Studies, Kurukshetra University. He has more than twenty six years' experience of teaching and research. His interest area of research is Modern History of India He has guided three students for M. Phil and three students for Ph. D degrees. He has written extensively on the Political, Social and Economic History of Modern India and authored 'Industrial Development in Northern India (1858) 1918). A Study of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana' (2005). He has also written 14 books of History. for undergraduate classes. Apart from this, he has published more than 20 research articles in national and international journals as well as presented more than 33research papers in national and international conferences and seminars. He has organized a good number of seminars and quiz competitions. He has also chaired and co-chaired in various national and international conferences. He is also the member of Indian History Congress and Punjab History. Conference. He is also consort with various committees of the University such as U. G. and P. G. Board of Studies, Inspection, Observer, Selection, Unfair Means, Compliant etc.

This book is a study of the modes of agriculture in Haryana during 1803-1947. For this work, I have concentrated on the present day Haryana region which was known as south-east Punjab during colonial rule. The agrarian economy of Haryana during the colonial period has not so far been adequately explored or examined in the real sense. Indeed, some scholarly pursuits in the field of history with a special thrust on the aspect of economic history of the region have, no doubt, been undertaken But the historical process highlighting the changes in the nature and growth of agriculture in the region has so far not engaged the fullest attention of researchers and scholars. True, the book Punjab Peasants in Prosperity and Debt (1925) and An Economic History of Punjab (1928) by M. L. Darling and H. G. Trevaskis respectively could be regarded as laudable attempts in this direction. However, both the works are at best contemporary study. Apart from these, Chattar Singh's book Social and Economic Change in Haryana (2004) and Mridula Mukherjee's book Colonializing Agriculture: the Myth of Punjab Exceptionalism (2005) do not deal with the period and the thrust area in question. Hence, the present study is a modest endeavor to bridge this existing gap.

The patterns of agrarian development in Haryana were affected by a number of economic, social and political factors. Thus, an integrated picture of agrarian changes in this region during 1803-1947 is sought to be painted in details. It brings to the fore the patterns of agricultural development in the backdrop of social, economic and political structure and various pressures which hampered it. This study has focused on nature of changes in agriculture in this part of the country in the light of modernization and commercialization.

Agrarian changes in the colonial period were an all-India phenomenon. Therefore, development in a specific region is to be seen in the larger Indian context. India being then a colony, subordinate economy of the British metropolis developed here. Colonial rulers established infrastructure in the interest of British metropolis, which affected the whole process of agricultural development. Hence, its agrarian change was guided by this structural relation. It is because of this, that traditional modes of agriculture persisted, but at the same time the conditions under British imperialism helped in ushering in modern agriculture though in a limited sense. This study would highlight the impacts of colonial regime on Haryana and the complexities of development of agriculture during 1803-1947.

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