Into how many groups were the peasants divided in the Mughal period on account of caste or such other discriminations?
During the Mughal period, the cultivators or the peasants were divided into many heterogeneous groups because of inequalities and distinctions based on caste. A majority of those who tilled the land worked as menials or agricultural labourers (majors). A few people belonging to particular castes were given only menial tasks. Thus, they were destined to be poor. Such people comprised a large section of the village population. They had the least resources and were relegated to poverty. They owed their deplorable condition to the caste hierarchy.Similarly in the Muslim communities, a few people performed menial jobs such as scavenging. They lived outside the boundaries of the village. In other words, there was a direct co-relation between caste, poverty and social status among the lower sections of the society.
