Give a brief description of the agrarian life of India during the 16th-17th centuries. Which changes came with the entrance of outside agencies into the agrarian world?
Around 85% of people of India, during 16-17th centuries, lived in villages. Both peasants and the rich zamindars were engaged in agricultural production and both were claimants of their share in the produce. That is why it created relationships of cooperation, conflict and competition among them. Rural society was made up of the sum of these agrarian relationships. The entrance of Outside Agencies:At the same time outside agencies entered the rural world. One of the most important was the Mughal Empire which derived most of its income from agricultural production. Revenue accessors, revenue collectors and record keepers wanted to keep complete control over rural society. They wanted to ensure that cultivation must take place so that they could get a share of the state from the produce. As many crops were grown for sale, that is why urban trade, money and markets were linked with villages.
