RURAL SOCIAL SYSTEM CP MAHARASHTRA Conditions of Social Aetlon Territoriality i- Lo o b Is says, "The setting <a the social system in space Is called Its territoriality ............ Territoriality determines within limits, how much space each person or group may-have, the frequency and intensity of interaction with the group and the probabilities of systemic linkages between groups**.^ The peasant community studied here is spread over a distinct cultural region, called Maharashtra. The chief characteristics of the cultural region described by Kanre and Dandekar are (l) commonness of language i it is a stretch of contiguous territory where one language with its various dialects Is spoken, (2) common usages as regards marriage, kinship system and family organization, (3) recognizable simi­ larity in dress, utensils and food preparations of the people, (4) people pay homage to same saints, tell the same stories, sing the same songs and even show the same attitude towards certain situation of life *^ Physical Setting i- The State of Maharashtra was formed as the separate administrative unit on the linguistic basis in I960* It is situated cm the west coast of India between 22*1^ 1 . C.P.Loomis and Z.K.Loomls, Modern Social Theories (Princeton, N.J.i D.Tan Nostrand Co*, Xnc.l96l) p.^. 2 . I.Karve and V.M.Dandekar Anthropometric Measurements of Maharashtra ( Poona t Deccan College Post-graduate- ana {Research institute, 1951 ) p.l. ' 4a and 1 6 .4 ° north latltade and 72.6® and 8 0 .9 ° east longitude. It Is boundad by tha Arabian sea In the west, Qujarat In the north-west, Madhya Pradesh In the north, Andhra Pradesh In the south-east and Mysore In the south. The region Is formed by the trap rock system, and Is drained by a number of rivers, big and small most of them forming tributaries of Tapi, Goda­ vari, Bhlma, Krishna, Wardha, Palnganga and Valnganga. Area and Population i The total area of Maharashtra Is 3.06 lakh square kilometres, which is about one tenth of the area of the Indian Union. As per census of 1961, the population of the State Is 3 .9 6 crores and forms 9 par csnt of that of the Indian Union. Of the total population, 2.8 4 % crores reside In the rural areas and form 7 1 .8 per cent of the total population as against the corresponding porc3ntage of 8 2 .0 for the Indian Union. The density of population is 129 per square kilometre as against the corresponding figure of 143 for all-India. Looking to the sex ratio there are 801 females per lOOO males in urban area whereas In rural area there are 995 females per 1000 males. The classification of the population according to livelihood status indicates that cultivators form about 22 per cent and agricultural labourers 11.4 per cent as against 23 par cent and 7 per cant, respecti­ vely, for the country as a whole. The over-all literacy per­ centage is 30 corresponding to 24 per cent for India. Mahara­ shtra State ranked fourth in 1961 In literacy among all States of India. Marathwada sub-region is lagging behind with literacy 42 percentage of only 16; while Greater Bondsay has 59. The literacy percentage among the females continues to be lev (17 per cent) as against 42 per cent among the Bales, The rural and urban literacy percentages are about 2S and 51 respectively. The 30 per cent of villages In the State did not have a school In 1961. These villages accounted for about 8 per cent of the rural population of the State. Most of these villages have a population less than 5000 persons. Administratively the state Is divided Into four divi­ sions and 26 districts. But culturally It Is divided In five sub-regions viz. (l) Yldarbha - comprising north-eastern eight districts- Bhandara, Nagpury Chanday Wardhay Teotmaly Amravatly Akola and Buldana, (2) Marathwada - comprising five south-eastern districts- Nandedy Parbhanly Bldy Osmanabad and Aurangabad. (3) Khandesh - comprising two northern dlstrlcts- Jalgaon and Dhulla. (4) Desh - comprising 7 central dlstrlcts- Naslky Ahmednagary Poona, Satara, Sanglly Sholapur and Kolha­ pur. (6) Konkan - comprising three western districts on the coast- Thana, Kolaba and Batnaglrl. Climate and cropping pattern . On the basis of average annual rainfall and the nature of rainy season, the regional features of the State are broadly as follows - (a) In the coastal sub-region, Konkant the rainfall varies from SO” to 140«j the high rainfall occurs In the hilly area of western ghats (Sahyadrl). Pad^y and nagll are principal 43 grain crops. Coconut, araoanut, mangoes, Jack-fralt and spices are main horticultural crops. (b) The entire area on the eastern side of ghat Is practically plateau, known as Desh and Is In ralnshadow. The rainfall In this area gradually decreases from 80" to 2 5 ", while over major part It Is arotuid 25" to 30" and In quite a few places It Is less than 20". The crops commonly grown are Jowar. bajrl (millets), groundnut, pulses, sugar­ cane and cotton. (c) In Marathwada sub-region, the rainfall varies from 30" to 40". Bajrl, .jowar, wheat, cott<m, groundnut and pulses are the Important crops. (d) In the Vidarbha. the rainfall varies from 30" to 6 0 ". I t gradually increases towards the east, particularly in the forest areas of Chanda district. Paddy, Khar If .iowar, cotton and pulses are the main crops. This sub-region is famous for oranges (Santra) . The climate is hot, particularly during summer. At most of the places throughout Uaharashtra the maximum tempe­ rature remains above 30® centigrade and minimum te^arature remains above 18° centigrade. The cool climate is at Mahaba- leshwar in Satara district (maximum temperature 34.6® centi­ grade and minimum 16.7° C .). Summer is very hot in Khandesh and Vidarbha. At Jalgaon (Khandesh) the maximum temperature 44 is 34.8^ C. and mlnlffluffl 19.8^C., wharaas at Akola the maxi­ mum tempepature Is 34.1° C. and minimum 20,1® C. People s Maharashtra Is the transitional socio­ cultural raglon batwaen tha north and south and thus a com­ bination of Sanskrltlc northarn traits and Dravldlan southern traits ara found In this region. Due to anrclant connections with the north, the northern traits are dominant. Marathi Is the spoken language derived from Sanskrit. It has several dialects viz. Nagpurl and ?arhadl In Yldarbha, Ahlranl In Khandesh and Konkanl In Konkan. Vlndhyan Hills served as the barrier between North and South In d ia . The Aryans travelled to the South through the plains of Gujarat and than to Vldarbha. The population of Vldarbha exhibits a considerable mixture with Aryan or other Northarn races which affectad both physical appearance and language. Prom hera tha Aryans moved towards the west. Baden- Powall says, "I t is highly probable that a number of the best races- e .g . those collectively called "Maratha" were the result of a fusion of Aryan and Dravldlan blood. And tha same may be true of the Kunbl casta and tha A h lr ".^ Ha further says that superior Maratha families may be more Aryan than the rest. There ara s till many remnants of the non-Aryan races in the hills, bordering the State. On the north-east there is Qond, a Dravldlan race, which ruled that part known as Oondwana t ill 1 . B .H.Baden-Powall " Tha Indian Village Community'* ( New Haven * HRAP Press, 1§67) p.112. TRIBAL PEOPLE 7 1 banjoKct T h a k u r (AuKonga bad distridj Poona disinct) K aik ciri M adia Cjond (C h a n d a \ I « the Uarathas seized power* Korka Is .another tribe In Satpara Hills to the north of Vldarbha. In the same hills Bhll Is another tribe towards the western part and north of Khandesh. In the Western Ghat and Konkan several tribes are found viz. Warily Thakur) Mahadeo Koll, Katkarl. In south Maharashtra, the dialect rarles somewhat, showing a distinct trace of the non-Aryan or original element.^ Other caste people also migrated to Maharashtra from the surrounding states. In Vldarbha Kohall and Powar Immi­ grated from the north and Komatl from Andhra Pradesh. Rajput, Lewa, Gujar and Yanjarl Immigrated from the north to Khandesh and western Vldarbha. Marwadl, Gujarati and Slndhl, Immigrat­ ed ?rom the north, are traders settled all over Maharashtra even In rural area. Vadar and Llngayat Immigrated from Mysore and are found predominantly south of Poona. There Is some controversy about the origin of the name of this State. Maha means "great” and Rashtra means ’country’ and thus Maharashtra Is *magna raglo*. Some persons say that the name Is derived from the scattered major castes, Mahar and Marathas.2 Others say that the name Is derived from Bashtrakuta dynasty which ruled this area for some centuries after A.D.750. Maharashtra Is recorded In a chalukya Inscri­ ption of A.D.680 as Including three province? and 99,000 villag es. 1. Ibid p.112. 2.> Ibid p.114. ( i i Kunbl-Maratha is a dominant caste of this region form­ ing 40 per cant of the population. The Naslk Gazettear states that In 246 B .C . "Maharatta" Is mentioned as one of the places to which Asoka sent an embassy; bat the Marathas as people do not seem to be mentioned before the thirteenth or fciirtaanth century. Marathas spring mainly from the Kunbls.^ Svan Baden- Powell states) "The originators of the modern Marathas comple­ tely disappear from hlstoryj and the race only reappears towards the close of the seventeenth century under Shlvajl. This chief himself belonged to the caste or race also widely distributed, called Kunbl.^ Kunbls are noted agriculturists and spread over other regionsy where they are called Kunbl or Kumbhi.