Salient Features of Indian Villages

When man was ignorant of the art of agriculture he was compelled to wander in search of food and could not settle down in any one place. As an acquired skill and knowledge in agriculture, he became proficient in procuring all his needs from the same tract of land. When some families lived as neighbors in the same area shared in each other’s joys and sorrows and joined hands in the struggle against the physical elements, and communities. Various factors like topographic, economic, and social have been active in the growth of the village community. India is mainly a country of villages.

Salient Features of Indian Villages

In India, about 83 percent of the people live in villages. Villages play an important part in Indian life. India can rightly be called a land of villages. There are 575721 villages in the country. The salient features of Indian villages are the following:

1. Faith in Religion: The people in the village are usually God-fearing and they believe mysterious powers of gods and goddesses. They worship a large number of gods and believe they are the cause of their joys and sorrows. They have firm faith in rebirth, destiny, and luck.
2. Self-Sufficiency: Each village used to be a self-sufficient unit before the British rule in India. This self-sufficiency was destroyed by the introduction of a market economy during the days of British rule. 
3. Neighborly Relations: Another significant feature of village life is that stress is laid on neighborly relations. The people are simple and honest. Life in the village is not very fast. Their wants are few and simple. They have a sense of unity. They personally know each other. They have common customs and festivals.
4. Joint Family: Joint family system is breaking down in the cities but in villages, it still retains its hold. The agricultural occupation requires the cooperation of all the members of the family. The men folk work in the fields while the women look after the household chores.
5. Simplicity: The people in the village live a very simple life. They lead a peaceful life away from the hustle and bustle of city life. They live in the lap of nature. Their needs are few and simple.
6. Fellow Feelings: They work in the spirit of fellow feeling and that of give and take. They willingly come forward to help one another. They share their joys and sorrows. Fellow feelings have become a part of their nature. They are cooperative and helpful to one another.
7. Conservatism: the villagers are generally very conservative. They do not like to adopt new ways and hate radical changes. They are attached to their old customs and traditions. They love old ways and are least eager to follow the advice of social reformers in matters of marriage and other social customs. So Charles Metcalf wrote, “They seem to last where nothing else lasts. Dynasties tumble down; revolutions succeed Revolution, Hindu, Pathan, Mughal, Marathas, and Sikh. English all the masters change in turn but the village communities remain the same.”
8. Poverty and Illiteracy: The most glaring and depressive feature of Indian villages is the poverty and illiteracy of the Indian village people. They are generally poor with a very low income. They are indebted heavily and have to pay high rates of interest to village mahajan. They take coarse food. Their holdings are small and uneconomical. The opportunities for education are meager. Illiteracy is a great stumbling block in the way of any improvement. They waste their hard-earned money on the observance of too many festivals and religious rites.
9. Group Feelings: In the life of the villagers, group feelings occupy an important place. They respect the judgment and obey the order of their elders and the panchayat has control over the individuals. People are afraid of being publicly criticized or condemned.

Reference

Rural Sociology by Dr. G. Das