• Dr Shobha Misra

The origin of the word ‘Arya’ came from a root which means to cultivate and in Rig-Veda it appears as best or excellent, so we can assume that agriculture and peasants had already got a respectable status at that time.This period was also a best representation of a phase of transition from cattle rearing or nomadic phase to sedentary agriculture (1). In the Rigvedic period soil was not in a category of wealth and land settlement existed in its simplest form. Clearing of dense forest (aranya) required communal efforts and as a result the whole community might equally own the share of land and crop production (2). It reflects a type of communal ownership of land. References of Kshetrapati, urvarasam, urverapati , urverajeet and references of ‘khil bhoomi ‘shows peasants personal ownership.(3) Kings ownership on land was only in the form of tax as Bali on agricultural productions. (4) In later vedic period fields were counted in the category of wealth, there were evidences of presence of very large farms and their owners. (5) Kings share on land was increased as ’bhag -bhog’ also enlisted as tax. King could also donate some land related profits to purohits and officials as reward. In Yajurveda we find the word ‘kshetranam pataye’ which means a peasant could be owner of more than one field. Atharvaveda,Taittariya Samhita’,Chhandogya Upnishad clearly mentioned disputes about lands boundaries, forceful cultivation on others’ soil etc. Rudra was known as lord of these land snatchers. In this early stage of society formation, a piece of land could be owned as private, public or royal property.

land ownership, agriculture, vedic, kshetra

"Status of Ownership of Agricultural Land in Vedic Period", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no.213-216, May 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905X27.pdf

"Status of Ownership of Agricultural Land in Vedic Period", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no. pp213-216, May 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905X27.pdf