Includes bibliographical references and index

Over the years, this historic work, which provides a comprehensive picture of the emergence of rural society in India, has become a classic text. With greater emphasis being placed on rural development for the transformation of the life and conditions of the rural populace, the study of rural society is gaining importance not only among the sociologists and economists but also among the administrators, policy makers and politicians. Rural Sociology in India attempts to present in one volume significant writings from the large body of literature on various aspects of Indian rural society. It discusses the multiple viewpoints of the diverse methods and techniques adopted to study the different domains of rural society, portraying its multi-sided and complex nature. This book provides the crucial theoretical projection about the future of not merely the agrarian social order, but also that of the underdeveloped countries as a whole. The readings chosen in this volume will help students to understand the diverse aspects of Indian rural life and stimulate their interest to undertake further studies on this subject.