Impact of british colonial rule on agrarian relations in north odisha during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries

Abstract

The agrarian structure of north Odisha has witnessed a number of changes during the 19th and 20th centuries owing to the colonization of the region by the Britishers. Before the period of colonization, the agrarian economy of the north Odisha region operated through the traditional systems of land ownership, community-based farming practices, and dependence of tribals on forest and nature. The setting up of British rule in the region has led to a number of land revenue policies that resulted in strengthening the role of zamindars and made land a source of private taxable property. This resulted in the weakening of the existing agrarian organizations, indebtedness of the peasantry, and alienation of land. The forest policy followed by the British further aggravated the position of the tribes by limiting their access to forest and practicing shifting cultivation. This exploitative system of agrarian relations created conditions of poverty, inequality, and uncertainty for the villagers, especially during the period of famine and agricultural depression. Gradually, agrarian unrest was integrated into the national struggle of India and played an important role in developing rural political awareness in the region of Odisha. The research explores how the British colonization affected agrarian relations in the North Odisha region.