Bengal Peasant Life

In this stimulating work about Bengal Peasant .life, the noted scholar provides a memoir of traditional social and domestic life of rural population and working class of Bengal. In writing this book the author has not merely drawn together an assortment of pieces. He has directed the configurations of the 61 essays, however unusual It is in collection of the kind, to eleborately describe all spheres of Bengal Peasant lite-authentic history of Bengal raiyat and his surroundings. The work presents a balanced view of what was happening in one of India’s most populous state dominated by a rural class during a period spanned by similar socio-cultural generations. Thus the author’s study of rural Bengal’s social and political evolution traces the problems of every traditional Indian rural society as a whole, particularly when faced with rapid changes in social systems. Each narrative essay is a systematic examination of the complexity and the range of problems in relationship of caste to Bengal peasant himself, in verying conditions. The book gives a vivid account of rural scene, how the country folk lived, their social customs, traditions, religion, rituals, beliefs, the socio-economic backgrounds, literacy, emergence of political awarness. It also explains how they co-existed despite their varied struggles with the black sheeps, as well as the white, among the priveleged class of powerful land holders (zamindars). The vernacular words introduced in this work have been brought together by author’s own experience supplemented by accurate English translations of the words.
The strength of this volume lies in its ability to explore peasant life and rural population in its broadest context to present a perfect socio-economic and socio-cultural commentary of traditional rural Indian societies of that period.