Agrarian Relations and Caste Dynamics in Contemporary Rural India : A Case Study of Azamgarh District (original) (raw)

Historically, land issues and caste system is intertwined in the traditional rural India. The growth and assertiveness of caste and community politics in Uttar Pradesh was the consequence of failure to promote economic development adequately and equitably and in the weakness of the centralized structures of governance and policy processes. In Azamgarh district too, the nature of Agrarian relation is unequal between upper and lower castes since past. After independence, the process of democratic decentralization and various state initiatives has improved the condition of marginal section of society and significant changes have taken places in land and caste relation in the Azamgarh district. This article discusses impact of land reforms and other state initiatives on the lower caste (SCs) of Azamgarh district. The findings reflect the changing status of lower caste and the changing agrarian relations from various state initiatives.