Village Survey Questionnaire

1. Name: _______________ Son of: _______________

2. Caste: Main _______________ Sub _______________
3. Occupation: Tenant ______________ Kammi ______________ Service ______________
4. Amount of Land (Estimate) _______________
5. Are you:
Zamindar _________
If zamindar, how much land do you cultivate? ______ acres. Whose land? ________ If part
of land is yours, how did you acquire it? __________ Who cultivates that for you? ________
If not zamindar, description of work _______________
6. Kammi _______ Occupation ____________ number of seipis _______________
If kammi and pursuing ancestral profession, do you have specific clientele? ______________
If kammi and do not do occupational work, which family are you attached to? Name of
family _______________ Its caste _______________ Occupation _______________
Servant ______ If servant, specify the payment in cash _______, kind ______, both _______
Other _______________ What? _______________
7. How many generations ago did your family come to this village? _______________
8. Where did your ancestors come from? _______________
9. What brought them here? _______________
10. For how many past generations do you remember the genealogy? _______________
11. Did your father cultivate land? _______________
12. Did your grandfather have land? _______________
13. How many of your relatives live here? _______________
14. What relation? _______________
15. How many others of your caste live here? _______________
16. How many of your caste are related to you? _______________

Perception of the Law

1. What sort of rights do you think you have under the law? _______________
2. Do you think your rights are protected? _______________
3. What state actors assist you in protecting those rights? _______________
4. What do you do in case of legal troubles? _______________
Yearly income (approximately)
From Cash Maundage
Kammad
Cotton
Cotton picked by women
Wheat
Any other anaj
Animal Produce
Other (specify)
To be asked of kammis and other classes only:
Amount of wheat you got from seipis
Amount of cotton you got from seipis
Amount of fodder you got from seipis
Amount of cash for various services for e.g. at time
of marriage
Approximate income, monthly or yearly

Family and Marriage

1. For the most successful marriage should one seek the partner (check in order of importance):
2. _______________ within one’s own biraderi?
3. _______________ within one’s own caste but not biraderi?
4. _______________ outside one’s caste?
5. In what caste would you prefer to marry your:
6. Son: 1___________ 2 ___________ 3 ___________ 4 __________
7. Daughter: 1___________ 2 ___________ 3 ___________ 4 __________
8. Given a choice, among what relations would you like to marry your :
9. Son: 1___________ 2 ___________ 3 ___________ 4 __________
10. Daughter: 1___________ 2 ___________ 3 ___________ 4 __________
11. Is amno samna (exchange marriage in which brother and sister marry sister and brother)
good to insure a successful marriage? _______________
12. In seeking a marital partner for your children, is caste more important or less important than
wealth? _______________
13. What is more important (in order of importance)?
14. One’s caste ____ friends ____ biraderi ____ family ____
 Influentials
1. What are the qualities of a good landlord? _______________
2. What are the qualities of a good government? _______________
3. Who are some of the influentials in this village? _______________
4. Do find them to be responsive to your demands? _______________
5. What are the most common sorts of disputes which tend to arise? _______________
6. In a dispute, which three persons would you prefer for mediators and accept their decisions:
Name Reason

7. Name three persons who can get the village road or school built:
Name Reason

8. Where would you place yourself in a hierarchy of families present in this village? Give
reason.