Preface; Part I. Thanjavur: 1. The district; 2. Castes and religious groups; 3. The agriculturalists; 4. The nonagriculturalists; 5. Variations in ecology, demography and social structure; 6. The colonial background and the sources of poverty; 7.

Political parties; Part II. Kumbapettai: 8. The face of the village; 9. Kumbapettai before 1855; 10. Kumbapettai from 1855 to 1952; 11. The annual round; 12. Economics and class structure: the petty bourgeoisie; 13. Independent commodity producers and traders; 14.

The semiproletariat; 15. Village politics: religion, caste and class; 16. Village politics: the street assembly; 17. Class struggle and village power structure; Part III. Kirippur: 18. East Thanjavur; 19. The village; 20. Economy and class structure; 21.

Village politics: the caste Hindus; 22. The Communist movement; 23. Conclusion; Notes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.