An Insight into the Agrarian Distress in the Tamil Country during Vijayanagar Rule by Gleaning through Inscriptions

The medieval Tamil epigraphs mostly deal with the land transactions and revenue generated out of land. This clearly indicates that the land played a pivotal role in the economy of the medieval States. Land revenue was an important source of income of any State, as before and even after, and during the medieval period of the Tamil country. During the Vijayanagar rule in Tamil Country, the peasants were left with one-half or even less than that of the produce, after paying all the taxes. The central government might have been taxed the legitimate one-sixth as it claimed in few inscriptions but the successive addition of taxes imposed by the local agencies proved heavy to the land tax payers. The higher rate of land tax, burden of such higher land tax, absence of exemption and remission of taxes during natural calamities and oppressive methods exercised by the officials in tax collection on the agrarian class resulted in distress and unrest. The economic distress of the agrarian class found an outlet in migration. They were also forced to sell their lands in order to meet the demand of land dues. The agrarian class displayed notable resistance at times, but it was mild and effective only to a limited extent.