Published Paper Details:

The transformation of agrarian relations in India from the pre-colonial to the colonial period represents a critical phase in the socio-economic history of the subcontinent. This study examines the changing patterns of land ownership and the condition of the peasantry, with particular reference to Andhra region during the 18th century. In the pre-colonial period, agrarian relations were shaped by customary rights, local administrative practices, and the patronage extended by rulers to cultivators. However, political instability, the decline of centralized empires, and the rise of regional powers led to increased exploitation of peasants through heavy taxation and forced labour systems. With the advent of colonial rule, new land revenue systems such as Zamindari and Ryotwari fundamentally altered traditional agrarian structures. These systems intensified economic distress by increasing revenue demands, encouraging commercialization of agriculture, and strengthening intermediaries. The study highlights how peasants were gradually dispossessed of their lands due to indebtedness, usurious moneylending, and administrative coercion. It also examines the role of natural calamities, labour exploitation, and social hierarchies in deepening agrarian crisis. By analyzing archival records, contemporary accounts, and historical studies, this paper argues that the transition from pre-colonial to colonial agrarian systems resulted in the marginalization of peasants and the emergence of widespread rural poverty, which had long-term consequences for India's economic and social development.