S T A F F PAPER

The Process of Land Radistribution

in a Rayalaseeraa Village

V.

s.

PARTHASARATHY

IN S T IT U T E FOR SO CIAL A N D E C O N O M IC
BANGALORE

CHANGE

Copyright (c) by Institute for Social and

Change 1975

Rs,

PEINTED

ay

Econom ic

5-00

IN

INDIA

K k ia a ta k o PatiiJca P iiv a te L in ita d a a d P u b liah ad by Inatitii+a

S o aia) a a d E a o a o n ic C lidB ga, B aB ^alota 5 6 0 0 4 0

for

tH E

PROCESS OF LAND

REDiSTRIB UTIO N

IN A RAVALASEEMA VILLAGE

ANDHRA

PRADESH

Cuddapah District
Ptirom ToluK
Shnpalk

MC

E , litc

31

**

128 M

p l ES

THE PROCESS O F L A N D

R E D IS T R IB U T IO N

IN A RA V A LA S E EM A

VI LLAGE

PR E FA C E

T h is is th e f o u r t h
been contributed

tit le in ISEC

b y Mr-

V.

S.

Staff papers

P arth asarathy,

a s s o c i a t e la t h e S o c i o l o g y U n i t

in t h e

and
a

In stitu te.

The

w o r k o a w h ic h th e p a p e r w a s b a s e d w a s u n d e r t a k e n
M r . P a r t h a s a r a t h y j o i n e d t h e I n s tit n te ,

has

research
field

before

but su b seq u e n t w ork

w a s c o m p l e t e d w h e n in th e I n s t it u t e .

T h e a u t h o r h a s s u c c e e d e d in u n e a r t h i n g a r a th e r u n i q u e
system

o f la n d o w e r s h i p a n d

op eration

in a v illa g e in A n d h r a P r a d e s h .
j o i n t l y o w n e d and i n d i v id u a l ly

currently

J ein t o w n e r sh ip

p r e v a le n t
w ith

op erated but w ith th e

la n d
cu lti

v a t e d la n d c h a n g i n g h a n d s at th e e n d o f e v e r y 1 2 y e a r s a m i d
a se a o f p r iv a t e p r o p e r ty in
t h e ir p r o p r ie t o r s
ing p h e n o m e n o n .

or t h e i r

la n d

tenants

It is p e r h a p s

operated
is a

in d i v i d u a l l y

som ew hat

no m ore

than

by

astound
h is t o r ic a

c u r io s it y , b ut m a y p r o v e o f i n t e r e s t t o s t u d e n t s s e e k i n g n e w
pathw ays

t o lan d r e fo r m .

IS F C h a s p le a s u r e in m a k i n g th is s tu d y a v a i l a b l e

for

w id e r p u b lic.

V. K. R . V. R a o
D irecto r
I n s t i t u l c for S o c ia l a n d E c o n m i c C h a n g e
B a n g a lo r e

THE

PROCESS

OF LAND

R E D IST R IB U T IO N

RAVALASEEM A

T h is study
ten u re

attem p ts

p rev a len t to

P ed cla p a lle v illa g e

Pradesh.

The

M arch,
The

p erio d ic

featu re

ta n ce

fro m
it

th at

it

It

is

in

the

o n ly

was

o f la n d

th e re g io n ,

(1K 92), w i l l

som e o f
ten u ria l

reg io n

con d u cted

tim es.

reg io n

o f a r a b le

seem s

in

to

It is
but

o f la n d

h a m let
of

of

A ndhra

d u rin g

la n d

January-

w h ic h

have been

not know n

w h a t is

an

is t h e
in h e r i

h o w w id es

certain

is t h a t

H o w e v e r , it is

it

rep orted

n e a r b y h a m l e t o f P u r a m till 1 9 6 2 .

v a ried

cla ssic
g iv e

from

area to

ea r lie r
the

area.

e v id en c e

o f th is

fact.

in tr o d u c e d

o f d iv erse

la n d

system .
of

in tro d u ced s o m e

s y s t e m s in B ritish

system s

of

co n tin u ed

for

sort

of

In d ia , a lth o u g h

la n d te n u r e s , lik e za m in d a ri,
to

ex ist.

Of

the

d ifferen t

/ y o / W f i r / s y s t e m is t h e m o s t c o m m o n .

and

under

th ro u g h o u t
tenures

w ill

th e

tenure,

sp e cu la tio n

la n d

the

cou n try,

be

rep la ced

G iv e n th is o v e r a ll

la n d

perusal

H o w e v e r , the

I n d e p e n d e n c e in 1 9 4 7 , z a m i n d a r i a n d
ab o lish ed ,

and even

w o r k , T he L a n d S y s te m s o f B ritish

o f Pax B ritlan ica

system s,

been

m atter

it

hhaichara,^

S in ce

th e typ e

ten u re

in t h e t e n u r i a l

th e

p a ttid a ri,

type

w e r e p r e v a le n t in d iffe r e n t r e g io n s

esta b lish m en t

sin g le

was

w e l l - k n o w n t h a t in p r e - B r i t i s h I n d i a , d i f f e r e n t t y p e s
tenures

u n ifo rm ity

b ein g

a u n iq u e
S h r i p a l c , -

R a y a la seem a

in S h r i p a l l e .

current

o f B a d en -P o w ell's

have

in

red istrib u tio n

o f th is

was

ob tain s

In d ia

w ork

p re-B ritish

now

w ith in

the

day

IN

'

1 9 6 9 .* -'

m ain

pread

d escrib e

th is

in

f i e ld

to

V IL L A G E

I am

in a m s y s t e m s

reform s
th e

o ld

in th is

are

system s

even tu iU ly

s itu a tio n , th e

d escrib in g

th at

by

future
study,

a
of
is

W h a t m akes th e p re s e n t s t u d y in te re stin g is the fact

t h a t th is system has survived n o t on ly t h e te n u r ia l ch a n g e s
b ro u g h t a b o u t d u rin g th e B ritish tim es b u t also th o s e o c c u r
ring d u rin g th e p o st-Jn d ep en d en ce years. This is a tt e s t e d
by the fact th a t th e re v e n u e officials o f C u d d a p a h D is t r ic t
w e re u n a w a r e o f th e existence o f the periodic r e - d is t rib u
t i o n o f la n d in S hripalle a n d it was o nly a ccid en tally dis
covered by thern d u rin g the ja m a b a n d i ( a n n u a l check ing o f
village a ccou nts) in 1966,
I t m a y b e p o in t e d o ut h e re th a t th e p re s e n t study fits
in w ith sim ila r stu d ie s c o n d u c te d in o th e r societies, Special
m e n t io n m a y be m a d e in th is c o n t e x t o f O b e y e se k e re s
stu d y , L a n d T enure in
V illa g e C eylon (1967),
which
r e p o r ts th e existence o f
a similar te n u r e .

II
S h rip a lle villagers did n o t kn ow how this te n u ria l
system cam e a b o u t , a n d
only said th a t it was in existence
since ti m e s im m e m o rial.
In 1805, Sir T h o m a s M u n r o , th e
f a m o u s B ritish a d m i n is tr a t o r , re f e rre d to th e p rev alen ce o f
t h e visapadi sy s tem o f land te n u r e in th e C u d d a p a h province
in o n e o f his le tte r s to t h e B o a rd of R ev enu e. H e observed:
In all villages, t h e ry ots a r e in th e h a b it o f
m eeting a n d d e b a tin g u p o n th e su b je c t o f re n t ; but
th e r e a re m a n y villages in which th ey settle a m o n g
them selves t h e exact p r o p o r tio n o f th e w ho le re n t
t h a t each in dividual is to pay, T h e se a r e called visapadi
o r sixteenth village, f r o m the lan d an d r e n t being div id ed
i n t o six te e n th sh ares; a n d th e y co m p rise a co n sid era b le
p a r t o f th e C u d d a p a h p ro v in c e
W h en th e seaso n o f
c u ltiv a tio n draw s n ear, all the ryo ts o f visapadi villages
a ss e m b le to reg u late th e i r several re n ts fo r th e y ear.
T h e P a g o d a is th e p lace usu ally ch o se n for th is purposcp
from th e idea t h a t its sanctity will re n d e r t h e i r engage-

m c n t s w i t h e a c h o t h e r t h e m o r e binding*

T h e y a s c e r t a in

th e

the

a m o u n t o f t h e a g r ic u ltu r a l s t o c k

and

o f th e w h o le

body, the

t h e c u l t u r e o f w h ic h it is

of

adequate

a cco rd in g ly , g iv in g to each m an

and they

th e

h e p a y s th is
v il la g e

be

be

one

p ro p o rtio n w hether

h ig h e r

or

lo w er

or

la n d

it

w h ich

share o f
tw o

th e w h o l e

to

d ivid e

p ortion

h a s t h e m e a n s o f c u l t i v a t i n g , an d fixin g h is
r e n t , an d w h e t h e r h is s h a r e

in d i v id u a l

q u a n t i t i e s o f th e

he
the

sixteen th s
re n t o f th e

la s t y e a r ( D i s tr ic t

th a n

G a ze tte e r, 1967 ; 4 9 4 ).

C. F.

Brackenbury has

th e

fo llo w in g c o m m e n ts on

t h e v isa p a d i sy s te m :

T h is w o u ld
o r i g i n a ll y

seem

settlin g

on

to

p o i n t to b a n d s

th e la n d in a so rt

of

co lo n ists

o f a g r ic u ltu r a l

p a r t n e r s h ip , a n d d o u b t l e s s t h e j o i n t in t e r e s t an d r e s p o n s i
b il it y

were

in g a n d
im p o sed .
whom

r e t a i n e d in la ter t i m e s a s

o f b e a r in g
The

q u e s t io n

it b e l o n g s

h o ld in g s

up

can

a g a in s t

a m eans o f resist

th e

heavy

o f p r o p e r ty
h a r d ly

be

assesm ents

in th e la n d a n d t o

s a id

to

a r is e

w hen

a re i n t e r - c h a n g e a b l e or s u b j e c t t o r e d i s t r ib u t io n .

T h e rea lly i m p o r t a n t t h i n g is t h e d i v i s i o n o f t h e p r o d u c e
w h i c h as far a s th e r y o ts a r e c o n c e r n e d u n d e r th e
v isa p a d i s y s t e m w a s r e g u la t e d b y th e c o n t r i b u t io n m a d e
to

th e c o m m o n

its r i g h t s

to

stock.

T h e S tate, h o w ev er, a ls o asserted

a sh a r e ,

the

e x te n t o f w h ic h

i t s e l f d e t e r m i n e d ( D i s tr ic t G a z e t t e e r .

I t is c le a r
d istrib u tio n
feature
o n ly
th a t
th e

am ong

the

o f t h e v isa p a d i s y s t e m .

was

in its

secured,

v il la g e

S tate

fr o m t h e s e .statem en ts th a t t h e p e r i o d i c a l r e

o f land

in lere.sted

the

1 9 1 5 : 147).

it

share
was

lo ca l

a g ricu ltu rists

T h e S ta t e a t th a t

o f the revenue

in d iffe r e n t t o

and

what

was

tim e w as

as l o n g a s

happened

in

and d id n o t in t e r fe r e in its in t e r n a l o r g a n i s a t i o n .

But th e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f th e r y o tw a r i

system

in

many

p a rts

o f In d ia by th e B ritish in w hich each individual o w n e r was

m a d e respo nsible for paying th e re v e n u e o n his la n d , seem s
to have b een re sp o n sib le
v isa p a d i system.

for

th e

d is a p p e a ra n c e

of

th e

T h e re is v a riatio n b e tw een t h e system th a t was found

in S h rip alle an d th a t de sc rib ed by M u n r o and others. In
t h e fo r m e r, th e e x te n t o f land w hich is p erio d ic a lly re d is
tr ib u t e d is only a b o u t 1/lOth o f t h a t a m o u n t availab le in th e
village. A s a g a in s t th e a n n u a l re d is tr ib u tio n d escribe d by
B ra c k e n b u ry , th e land in S h rip alle is r e d is tr ib u te d once
in
tw elv e years. H o w e v e r, th e r e seems to h av e b een v ariatio n
f r o m village to village w ith re g a r d to th e in te rv a l at w hich
l a n d was re d is tr ib u te d . F o r
instance, th e P u r a m h a m l e t
w hich I m e n tio n e d e a rlie r h ad a six -y ea rly r e d is tr ib u tio n
sy stem .
Ill
S hripalle, was on e o f th e seven h a m le ts

of

P e d d a p a lle

village.
P e d d a p a lle was well c o n n e c te d by ro a d ,

being d ir e c tly

linked by bus to th e d is tric t h e a d q u a rte rs , C u d d a p a h . T h e

n e a re s t ra ilh e a d w as P u r a m o n t h e M a d r a s -B o ra b a y b r o a d gauge line, an d w as a b o u t fo u r miles fro m P ed d ap alle.
A ccordin g t o th e 1961 C en sus, th e p o p u la tio n o f P e d d a
p alle w as 3,127, d is trib u te d over seven h am le ts .
It c o m
p rised B ra h m in s, K apu s, B al'jas, V aishyas, B h atraju s, Vishwa
B ra h m in s, N ayi B rah m in s, Cliakalis, B h aine nis, M u tra c h a s ,
E rra k u la s , M alas, C h ris tian s a n d M u slim s. T h e H a rija n s an d
M u slim s w ere t h e tw o n u m e r ic a lly s t ro n g e s t grou ps.
T h e caste g ro u p s m e n tio n e d above w ere d is tr i b u te d in
t h e several h a m le ts which fo rm e d p a rt of the m a in village.
It was in tere sting th a t no K a p u (R e d d i) fam ily resided i a
th e m a in village, being d istrib uted only in th e h a m le ts
The
absen ce o f K a p u s in the m ain village was a t t r i b u t e d by

the villagers to the curse o f th e local g od d ess, w h o appeared

in a dream to an

an cestor o f th e v illa g e M u n siff (h ea d m a n )

o f P eddapalle, and to ld him th a t n o K ap u

sh o u ld

reside

there.
T h e c o m p o s i t i o n o f ca ste s varied from h am let to ha m le t.
(F o r the presen t
Shripalle o n ly ,

p u r p o se ,

I shall

since I

not b e

o f t h e o th e r h a m l e t s . )

am

co n c e n tr a t in g

g o in g into th e

on

c o m p o s iti o n

E ach h a m le t h ad a sizea ble p o p u l a

tio n an d ap peared as a fu ll-b lo w n v ii la c e in i t s e l f but for

re v e n u e p u rp o ses the

h a m le ts w ere trea ted a s

part o f

th e

m ain villageT he hamlet S h rip a lle w a s a b o u t a m ile from th e m ain

v illa g e in the n o rth -ea st d ire ctio n , and w a s c o n n e c te d t o it
by a cart track.

T h ere w ere a

b uilt

s t o n e (a variety o f black st o n e ava ila b le

o f C u d d a pa h

num b er o f

good

h o u ses

in t h e v icinity o f C ud d a p ah and h e n c e the n a m e) and w ere

m o s t ly o w n e d b y Kapus. T h er e w as a sm all tem p le to the d eity
R a m a in th e h am let w h ic h w a s used for

h a m le t

m eetin gs.

In a d d it io n , there w ere tem p les to H a r isw a m y an d K rishn a,

the la tter bein g on the village

o utskirts.

S h rip a lle had a p o p u la t io n o f 507 in 1969 and th e break

d o w n by caste is given in T a b le
T h e aim o f this stu d y is

1,
p e riod ic land

re-d istrib u tion

a n d t h e r e f o r e , it is c o n c e r n e d on ly m in im a lly with the struc

tu ra l rela tio n s b e tw e e n v a rio u s c a stes in ShrjpalleK ap u and M a la s w e r e th e p r ep o n d era n t gro u p s in S h r i
palle. Ill term s o f e c o n o m i c and numerical p o s itio n , Kapus
d o m in a te d th e h a m le t and o w n e d m o s t o f the land in it.
The

K ap u s w e r e d iv id e d in t o

tw o su b -ca stes.

g io n

as a w h o le, P e d d a k a n ti,

M o ta t i,

In

th e

re

K o d i d e and P ok an ati

K ap u s were n u m ero u s, but on ly M o t a t i and P o g a n a ti K ap u s

w ere fo u n d in the h a m le t.

M o ta tis

w ere

an e n d o g a m o u s

g ro u p but there se e m e d to b e no r e stric tio n to

P o k a n a tis

g ettin g

m arried

the 26

Kapu

b o u rin g

in to

any

h ou seh o ld s,

oth er
four

su b -d iv isio n
w ere

K apus,

Of

im m ig ra n ts fro m n e ig h

v illa g es.
T a b le

Caste

the

No. of
households

Peasant
Labourer
Watchman
Weaver
Cowherd
Labourer
Bard
Trader
Trader
Itinerant Trader
and Labourer
Washerman
Barber
Labourer

Bajaka
Mangali
Christian

K apus

Traditional
calling

Kapu
Mala
Mutracha
Togata
Yadava
Mala Christian
Bhatraju
Vaishya
Balifa
Muslim

p a lle ,

of

and

Y adavas

w ere th e

oth er

castes

b ein g eith er

26
24
13
6
6
3
2
3
1

230
100
SS
33
29
13
12
10
6

1
1
1
1

6
5
5
3

88

507

o n ly

la n d o w n e r s in S h ri-

la n d less

d e p e n d e n t in o th e r w a y s o n t h e d o m i n a n t c a s t e
T h is, o f c o u r s e , d id

not

a p p ly

to

Population

the

lab ou rers

or

for liv e lih o o d .

V a ish y a s,

who

w ere

trad ers. T h e .serv icin g c a ste s, n a m e ly th e B arb ers an d W a sh e r

m en,

had

H arijan s
d o m e stic
d id

not

o f th eir

ja jm a n i r e la tio n sh ip
and

have

size

sp eak in g,

th an the oth er

su p p lied

Though

m uch o f

num erical

G en era lly
life

M u trach as

servants.

w ith

the

agricu ltu ra l

Yadavas

say

in

and w eak

Kapus

castes, th e

Kapus

w h ile

the

as w e ll

as

w ere la n d o w n ers, they

villa g e

a ffa irs

in

v iew

eco n o m ic p o sitio n .

had a

m ore urban

sty le

of

b etter-o ff K a p u s h a v in g elec -