What were the causes of increasing exploitation of the peasantry in the 17th century?
India is an agricultural country but the peasants have always been exploited. They were never given any relief. A person who fed others himself remained under-fed.
Causes of Exploitation of the Peasantry:
(i) The Jagirdari system : The jagirdars who themselves led a luxurious life overburdened the peasants with heavy taxes. They had nothing to do with the land reforms or the misery of the peasants. The peasants had to do forced labour to please them. In case they didn’t oblige them they had to lose their land.
(ii) Paying no attention towards agriculture : The government only bothered about the land revenue. To make arrangements peasants was not the headache of the government. Even if the crops were destroyed owing to a dry spell or floods, the peasants had to pay the full land-revenue.
(iii) Heavy taxes on land : Generally the government realized fifty per cent of the total produce as the state share. Before the 17th century, the peasants paid as tax but it did not include the jagirdar’s taxes or local taxes.
(iv) No new implements and techniques : The government never bothered to supply new implements or even new techniques to the peasants.
