What is the term used for the practice where lower caste groups had to provide free labour to landlords in some parts of India?

The correct answer is - Begar.

Key Points

• Begar
  • Begar was the practice where members of lower caste groups had to provide free labor to the landlords.
  • This practice was prevalent in some regions of India, particularly among the lower castes who were often bound to serve the dominant landowning groups.
  • The free labor provided was usually in the form of agricultural work or other forms of manual labor.

Additional Information

• Exploitation of Labor
  • The practice of begar was a form of exploitation where lower caste individuals were forced to work without wages, reinforcing social and economic inequalities.
  • It was a means for landlords to extract labor without providing fair compensation, maintaining their dominance in the rural hierarchy.
• Legal Abolition
  • Although practices like begar have been legally abolished in independent India, remnants of such exploitative practices may still persist in some areas.
  • Efforts have been made to ensure the enforcement of labor laws and to protect the rights of marginalized communities.
• Related Terms
  • Zamindari: A land revenue system where landlords (Zamindars) were responsible for collecting and paying land revenue to the colonial government.
  • Jajmani: A system of patron-client relationships in traditional Indian society, particularly in villages, based on reciprocal services among different caste groups.
  • Ryotwari: A land revenue system where individual farmers (ryots) were the landowners and paid taxes directly to the government.