Sponsor Area

Change And Development In Rural Society

Question
CBSEENSO12045100

What transformations were seen in the areas where agriculture became more commercialized?

Solution

Several profound transformations were noticed in the areas where agriculture became more commercialized. i.e. where crops were being grown primarily for sale in the market. These included:

  1. An increase in the use of agricultural labour as cultivation became more intensive.
  2. A shift from payment in kind(grain) to payment in cash.
  3. A loosening of traditional bonds or hereditary relationships between farmers or landowners and agricultural workers.
  4. The rise of a class of 'free' wage labourers.
    Such transformations were regarded by some scholars as indicative of a transition to capitalist agriculture. As cultivation became more commercialized these rural areas were also becoming integrated into the wider economy.