Village is the unit of rural society. It is the veritable theatre of socio-cultural rural life. In deed, through the functions of the village community the essence of rural life unfolds here. Every Indian village is a historical category. The emergence of a village in the flow of time remains etched in the memory of villagers through the oral tradition.
Growth and development of village history and human history including structural changes are part of the history of the village. Villages in India have undergone drastic changes during the last hundred and fifty years which have witnessed industrial revolution and political upheavals.
Indian villages are agro-centric. Each village is tied up with the history of agricultural economy. Agriculture is co-terminus with the settled plough cultivation. In India there are still nomadic communities who are constantly on the move in search of livelihood within a territory. Besides, in eastern and south-eastern India as well as in the southern peninsula there are some tribal communities whose economy revolves round the practice of shifting cultivation.
The practice of settled agriculture, before independence, was a source of food security of rural masses. Settling down in a definite territory, developing therein organised village life assured a stable economy. This event marked a landmark in the historical development of mankind.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Development of agriculture is the struggle for existence as living conditions became less harsh. In course of time, surplus agricultural produce relieved people from the burden of constant agricultural operation. People could devote some time to the development of arts, crafts and technologies. In other words, surplus food production helped people to concentrate on secondary industrial or ideological activities. Thus, civilization began with efflorence of agriculture and human habitations. This undoubtedly gave birth to rural society. Life in it was peaceful, simple, reciprocal, collective and less adventurous.
Due to differences in geographical environments, different types of village settlements emerged. The history of villages reveals that diverse physical features induced different types of settlement patterns. Settlement patterns referred to the physic arrangement and planning of house construction. Whatever may be the physical structure of a village, life remained collectivised and the economy rested on agriculture.
Villages need to be classified to get an idea about the history of a village. One criterion of classification is the transition from nomadic existence to settled village life. On the basis of this criterion, villages could be classified into three types, namely (a) migratory agricultural villages where people live for a few months, i.e. during agricultural operations, (b). Semi-permanent agricultural villages where people live for some years and then migrate out due to the exhaustion of social property and other natural resources and (c) permanent agricultural villages where people live for generations.