Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows the broad direction of the debate and may suffer from some transmission loss in the original ideas conveyed by the authors. It explores the particular circumstances that gave rise to the capitalist farmer in 16th century England. The book discusses the accompanying factors for the emergence of such a system. It presents the short version of this seminal work, that every student of the agrarian question should read, titled Peasant Question in France and Germany (1894). The book explains the globalization process and plight of peasants across regions. It shows how it raised the resources, eased the constraints of growth and expanded capitalist architecture in India. The book explores the peculiar economic and political conditions of 20th century post-colonial capitalism, which are distinct from the conditions under which Western capitalism was incubated.