INTRODUCTION
India is a land of villages. About nine-tenths of her popula-
tion live in rural areas. About seven-tenths live on agriculture.
Thus the bulk of the population of our country pursues agricul-
ture either as a principal or subsidiary source of income. Obvi-
ously the prosperity of our rural areas is intimately woven with
the prosperity of agriculture. In view of this, the importance
of a study of agricultural conditions and their effects on rural
population cannot be over-emphasized.
Only a few attempts^1 have been made so far to study the
problem of Indian agriculture as a whole. These studies could
not evidently be comprehensive or complete in themselves. Conse-
quently two methods have been devised for attacking the prob-
lem: (i) by making surveys of typical villages like Dr. Mann's
Land and Labour in a Deccan Village^2 and (2) by surveying
large homogeneous tracts. Among the latter there are two
subdivisions—study of a particular problem of the region like
Darling's 'Punjab Peasant in Prosperity and Debt', and a general
study of all problems of an area like Calvert's 'Wealth
and Welfare of the Punjab'.
Let us note the relation between these two classes of surveys.
The former are based on first hand investigations; the latter on
statistics collected by Government and private agencies. The
former have a special value in so far as they supply us with a
realistic picture of a small unit in all its details and completeness;
the latter have a general value as they indicate the broad tenden-
cies operating in a tract. For a thorough study of the problem
of Indian agriculture both classes of surveys are necessary. The
results of both should be co-ordinated. But we must mention
that the greater the number of village surveys, the greater is the
probability of arriving at the truth.
So far as the agricultural problem of our Presidency is con-
cerned, both classes of studies have been made. Dr. Mann has
surveyed two villages in the Deccan. Mr. Ranade has followed
1 e.g. (1) Improvement of Indian Agriculture, by Dr. Voelcker.
(2)<rhe Agricultural Problems of India, by Sir Gangaram.
 (3)	Agriculture in   India,   by  James  Mackenna.
 (4)	Report of the Royal Commission on Indian Agriculture.
$ The following are other instances of the first method: (i) Dr. Mann's
Study No. II; (2) A Social and Economic Survey of a Konkan Village,
Ranade; (3) Some South Indian Vilages, Dr. Slater; (4) Economic Life
in a Malabar Village, Aiyyar; (5) The Economic Life of a Punjab Vil-
lage, Dr. Lucas; (6) Report on an Economic Survey of Bairampur,.
Bhalla.