The bonded labour system of 'Halpati' was prevalent in:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Gujarat
Note: The examples of bonded labour, the halpati system in Gujarat and the jeeta system in Karnataka, in the section ‘Agrarian Structure: Caste and Class in Rural India’ of the chapter ‘Change and Development in Rural Society’, were there in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023. These examples have been deleted from the NCERT book (2025-26), though the chapter and its lines on ‘hereditary’ labour relationships are still there.
NCERT (2025-26): “4.1 Agrarian Structure: Caste and Class in Rural India … The rough correspondence between caste and class means that typically the upper and middle castes also had the best access to land and resources, and hence to power and privilege. This had important implications for the rural economy and society. In most regions of the country, a ‘proprietary caste’ group owns most of the resources and can command labour to work for them. Until recently, practices such as begar or free labour were prevalent in many parts of northern India. Members of low ranked caste groups had to provide labour for a fixed number of days per year to the village zamindar or landlord. Many of the working poor were tied to landowners in ‘hereditary’ labour relationships. Although such practices have been abolished legally, they continue to exist in many areas.”
Agrarian Structure: Caste and Class in Rural India (Pre-rationalised NCERT) |
