Jajmani System
Jajmani System:
Definitions:
1. Harold Gould: Inter familial, inter caste relationship with patterning of superordinate, subordinate relations between patrons and supplier of services
2. Yogendra singh: Based on reciprocity in inter caste relations in villages
3. Ishwaran: System where each caste has a role to play
Features:
1. Between families, not whole caste
2. One to one or many to one (village watchman, Orenstein)
3. Not all relations between jajman, kamin contractual. Some are paid (example rope makers)
4. Not all castes participate
5. Lower castes do not serve as kamins to harijans, Brahmins do not take lower castes as their jajmans. Different when lower castes prosper (Thakurs taking Brahmins as cooks in UP)
Functions:
1. Leach: Maintains and regulates division of labour and economic inter dependence
2. Gould: Distributes agricultural produce in exchange of menial crafts and services
3. Wiser: Maintains Indian village as self sufficing community
4. Biedelman: Maintains higher castes’ privilege
Norms and values:
1. Payment is made at harvest time
2. Along with grains, house site, grazing grounds, wood, cow dung, clothes etc
3. Kind preferred to cash
4. Jajman has to be paternalistic, kamin has to support in factional disputes
Criticism:
1. Biedelman: Jajman is exploiter, system is feudal
2. Lewis & Barnouw: Power, money influence leads to exploitation
3. Kolenda: DC swings balance in their favour
Counter criticism:
Rao, Kolenda, Gould, Orenstein say:
1. Kamins not totally dependent, on jajmans. They can go to others
2. They can go to caste panchayats. Caste solidarity > jajman associates
3. Jajmans treat paternalistically
4. Rules are flexible and shift in arrangements possible
5. Members of high caste don’t want polluting work and so depend on lower castes
Characteristics of Jajman:
1. Religio economic groups, not exactly economically or politically homogeneous
Their wish is to practice certain rituals and pure life
Definitions:
1. Harold Gould: Inter familial, inter caste relationship with patterning of superordinate, subordinate relations between patrons and supplier of services
2. Yogendra singh: Based on reciprocity in inter caste relations in villages
3. Ishwaran: System where each caste has a role to play
Features:
1. Between families, not whole caste
2. One to one or many to one (village watchman, Orenstein)
3. Not all relations between jajman, kamin contractual. Some are paid (example rope makers)
4. Not all castes participate
5. Lower castes do not serve as kamins to harijans, Brahmins do not take lower castes as their jajmans. Different when lower castes prosper (Thakurs taking Brahmins as cooks in UP)
Functions:
1. Leach: Maintains and regulates division of labour and economic inter dependence
2. Gould: Distributes agricultural produce in exchange of menial crafts and services
3. Wiser: Maintains Indian village as self sufficing community
4. Biedelman: Maintains higher castes’ privilege
Norms and values:
1. Payment is made at harvest time
2. Along with grains, house site, grazing grounds, wood, cow dung, clothes etc
3. Kind preferred to cash
4. Jajman has to be paternalistic, kamin has to support in factional disputes
Criticism:
1. Biedelman: Jajman is exploiter, system is feudal
2. Lewis & Barnouw: Power, money influence leads to exploitation
3. Kolenda: DC swings balance in their favour
Counter criticism:
Rao, Kolenda, Gould, Orenstein say:
1. Kamins not totally dependent, on jajmans. They can go to others
2. They can go to caste panchayats. Caste solidarity > jajman associates
3. Jajmans treat paternalistically
4. Rules are flexible and shift in arrangements possible
5. Members of high caste don’t want polluting work and so depend on lower castes
Characteristics of Jajman:
1. Religio economic groups, not exactly economically or politically homogeneous
Their wish is to practice certain rituals and pure life