Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/83

 $ T UDY OF RURAL E C01VOMIC$ The surveys of villages senl in by are now being prepared for publication. 71 my students In anticipation of what I shall have to say hereafter I may say that one general conclusion that appears to me to be indica is that the search for a typical village in Southern India, or in the Madras Presidency, is itself somewhat chimerical. No actual village can be typical in any complete sense; and in the partial sense in which it can be typical it is typical of one only out of Thomas Munro of extension of the outside numerous varieties. the permanent Bengal wa checked zemindari and ryowari It was by the efforts of Sir Madras Presidency that the settlement settlement introduced. Hence we have in the first place numerous zemindari villages scattered over the Presidency, in which on the whole the ryotwari prevails. Between wo variation tenants. aemindari villages in the relations one village from there will be between the I know the the village is the greatest zemindar and whole of the devoted to In zemindar's income village improvement, to making roads, sinking wells, and planting trees. In another village the whole of the zemindar's income is spent in dissipation and vice. In one ryotwari village the pattadars let out all the land to tenants. In another practically all pattadars cultivate lands themselves, and between can be found. and readiness innovation, others are intensely these two extremes all possible intermediate conditions Some villagers display much enterprise to adopt any promising agricultural conservative; in some the principle of co-operation manifests itself, in others not. We have further ever .varying conditions of soil and water-supply, with the consequent variations in the nature of crops produced. the produce is' consumed others the In some villages almost all in the village itself; in land is mainly devoted to growing crop