Question

Agrarian society can be understood in terms of its class structure. But we must also remember the structure is itself through the caste system. In rural areas, there is a complex relationship between caste and class. This relationship is not always straightforward.

Give two examples to prove that the relationship is not straightforward.

Answer 1

• In most areas, the highest caste, the Brahmins, are not major landowners, and so they fall outside the agrarian structure, although they are a part of rural society.
• In most regions of India, the major landowning groups belong to the upper castes. In each region, there are usually just one or two major landowning castes.