Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

Above
Rs.1000
- = - - - - -
Total 676 168 844 100 1975-25 100 4216-12
Unlike Trikkulam, Munniyur also did not have very large landlords. About 752 of the
total landholdings, coming to about 82.93 percent hold 46.43percent of the land. There
are only two landholders who can be classified as landlords and they hold less than ten
percent. Hence, the concentration of land is the least in Munniyur. The average extent of
small holdings comes to 1.22 acres, more than Trikkulam and Parappanangadi. It should
also be noted that the population density is low here. Garden land is more in extent than
wetland and there is a fairly large share of dry land, both occupied and unoccupied.
What is the reason for the absence of large holdings in some areas? In the three cases
cited above, wetlands are more than garden lands only in Trikkulam Desam, and in the
other two desams, the garden lands predominate. However, this feature cannot be held to
be the single factor that affects land concentration. It is clear that more than individual
landholders, the large entities such as Devaswams, such as Trikkulam Devaswam in the
case of Trikkulam, and landlords directly related to political power, such as
Ayyayiraprabhukarthavu in the case of Thenhippalam appear to have held more lands
than others. Similarly, Ullanam Devaswam, controlled by Chiramangalam mana, and
Nirakaithakotta Devaswam in Vallikkunnu were landlords who paid more than 1000
rupees a year as assessment, whereas Ayyayiraprabhukartavu in Thenhippalam and
Thottassiri Panikkar in Velimukku were not among them
The pattern of concentration of land in the region can be illustrated through taking the
data from another five Desams. Among the five Desams, wetlands are dominant in
Ullanam and Kodinji Desams, and garden lands in Thenhippalam, Vallikkunnu and
Velimukku Desams.
Table XXXVII