Panchanan Barma and The Peasantry of Dinajpur: A Study on Historical Background

The socio-economic status of the peasantry of Dinajpur was too low during the time of Panchanan in Bengal. There was no any social worker, who supported to helpless peasants except Panchanan Barma at the same time. He was compassionate for farmers. Being a rural person by birth and early upbringing, he was familiar with the economic conditions of the countryside. While living in Rangpur, he began to reflect on how to improve the lot of the peasantry and to bring prosperity to the village-centered economy. The village economy has changed due to impose land revenue settlement by the British-East India Company in the area. As a result, some of the land lords were benefitted and the village farmers were looser day by day. The creativity of the villages was hampered, and they were made dependent on the outside world. The peasants became helpless and destitute due to high rates of revenue extraction. Panchanan Barma had settled new economic policy towards the peasant and Kshatriya Bank as well.