This paper examines the identification and transformation of socio-economic classes in two villages of Uttar Pradesh between 2006 and 2023, with a focus on caste, class, and landholding dynamics. Our findings show that in Harevli in western UP and Mahatwar in eastern UP, class structures were shaped by access to land, tenancy, and machinery ownership. The upper classes-landlords and rich peasants-remained relatively stable, while the lower classes experienced some mobility, driven by changes in tenancy and wage labour participation and migration. Tenancy and rental machinery market were key mechanisms of control and exploitation of the poorer households by those at the top of the class hierarchy. Caste remained a significant determinant, reinforcing the economic dominance of upper classes across both villages.
This note analyses socio-economic changes among peasants and rural workers in Harevli and Mahatwar based on surveys conducted in 2006 and 2023. It examines shifts in family and hired labour use, sources of income, and patterns of proletarianisation. Findings show a marked decline in family labour and growing dependence on non-agricultural income. Despite this, peasant households continue to contribute over 70 per cent of village agricultural output, underscoring their enduring significance. The study also notes increasing landlessness and diversification of livelihoods through migration and leasing, highlighting persistent inequality and the evolving character of rural class relations.
Recent policy efforts have focussed on transforming eastern Uttar Pradesh, an acknowledgement of the relative backwardness of the region's agricultural development. Despite this, there has been little discussion in the literature of agrarian relations and their implications for the economics of farming. Taking Mahatwar village in eastern Uttar Pradesh as a case study, this article examines disparities across socio-economic classes in incomes and the costs of cultivation. We found substantial inequality, with landlord and big capitalist farmer households earning nearly 30 times the annual income of lower peasant and manual worker households. These disparities arise primarily from differences in costs: poor peasant and manual worker households bear a disproportionate rental burden, rely excessively on family labour, and use much of their produce for self-consumption. Our findings highlight the need for rent reduction and yield enhancement, along with support measures such as minimum support prices (MSPs), to provide meaningful incomes to low-income farmers.
