Indian Rural Economy during Early British Rule – Part II

Trade and Agriculture in Rural area –

        As the population in villages was small the shopping had a little scope. Customers from the villages used to go to town  for shopping. Except for the harvest time the business in the villages faced recession. As the money was scarce in the villages all the transactions were by ‘Barter’; particularly by using grain, cows, goats for exchange. In the towns and citites money was in use. ‘Saraf’ [money lender] used to supply ‘money’. These money lenders used to finance villagers.

                The employees were paid ‘annually’ and not ‘monthly’. But the low class labour was paid daily. Their daly wages were monstly in the fomr of  morning break fast and meals in the noon and night. Tea was no trend of drinking tea.

                As Inamdar or Vatandar were paid annually, they used to buy goods of their need from ‘Vani’ [shopkeeper] for the whole year on credit and the account was settled annually at the harvesting time. Money lender used to give loan in the form of money but the repayment was made in the form of grains or other agrivculture products. Money transactions were very few. Even the priest helping the worship used to get the remunaeration not in the form of money but in the form of grains, froutis, cows and goats etc. By selling the agriculatureal products the agriculatureist used to get plough, bullocks, cloth, salt, tiles, and not money. The person who is having more money, used to carry great respect in the village. That is why shop keeper, money lenders Saraf were dominant persons in the village.

                During rainy season the difficulties for agriculatureiset were increasing. Those who do not have seeds or pair of bullocks, used to get them from the shop keepers and settle the account at harvest time by giving agriculature produce to him. That is how the fresh and new crop used to go the the towns and cities at cheap rate. But in the time of need [at the end of the year] the agricultureist had to purchse the same at a higher price.

                The goods produced by the agricultlurist wa his money. Therefore he had to conserve the grains for all the twele months. There were no chemical insecticides. Grain was stored in the grain storage in the house it self by adding kadu-nim leaves

Written by ntnirale on November 14th, 2009 with comments disabled.
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