NMML OCCASIONAL PAPER HISTORY AND SOCIETY New Series 37 Stratification in Kumaun circa 1815–1930 Vasudha Pande Nehru Memorial Museum and Library 2013 NMML Occasional Paper © Vasudha Pande, 2013 All rights reserved. No portion of the contents may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the author. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society, in whole or part thereof. Published by Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Teen Murti House New Delhi-110011 e-mail :
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[email protected] NMML Occasional Paper Stratification in Kumaun* circa 1815–1930 Vasudha Pande** Stratification in the Pre-Modern Period In the early nineteenth century, the Kumauni caste system still retained its regional and historical specificity. Stratification in this region had emerged out of the lineage system, which had prevailed till the fifteenth century.1 The lineage system had been based upon an agrarian system dominated by Khasa community life and collective decisions had prevented the emergence of great inequalities.2 Agricultural production under the lineage system had allowed only for a distinction between peasantry and artisanal groups. The religious belief system of this period also prevented the emergence of a clear cut ritual demarcation between the artisans and the peasants, who continued to share a common village life.