What is Lenin's Peasant Theory?

Lenin was a Russian sociologist. Lenin and his followers believe that, among the rush farmers, the dividing process was strong. The farmers were facing the dividing process and these divided farmers were taking place in the anti class. In the model of Lenin ‘the spread of mode of production and its social division was the root in the process of dividing. To analyze Jamestovo’s statistics Lenin claims that, at that time, ancient Russian farming society were breaking down very quickly and at the result of the process of dividing, new kinds of dwellers emerged. Among them the rural bourgeois and the proletariat class were notable. In the Lenin’s thesis of capitalism in Russia, he thought capitalist who exploited the general poor farmers. And by this way the process of dividing of farmers were very much quick and being widely because of spreading capitalism system.

Fig: Lenin’s two lines model of the spread of capitalism in agriculture

(Source: John Harrison, Page 149)

Marxist View: Lenin: 

From the Marxist view Lenin said that, there were great inequality of wealth distribution among the farmers. As a result a great stratification occurred among farmers frequently. He also predicted that in the competition market, economic advantage and disadvantage will be increasing gradually. And once stage the farmer will be emerged. Some are given below.

1. Competition.
2. Struggle for the economically self-sufficiency.
3. Increase the control of land by purchasing or renting.
4. Few peoples hold most of the production.
5. Turning majority peoples into the proletariat class.
6. Few people exploited the proletariat class by their business capital.
7. Farming labor was appointed by the contact of rent.

According to Lenin’s theory of peasantry –“ In natural pre-capitalist economy were composed of fowling units”

• Patriarchal peasant family.
• Primitive village community.
• Feudal Manor.

The major economic objectives of these units are to fulfill family consumption. These units were undifferentiated and social division of labor was absent.

Stratification of Peasant: 

Rural Bourgeois: 

•  Financial base is very strong.
• They sales produced agricultural products in order to buy land lease land. 
• 20% of total peasant was rich farmer. They occupied 60-70% land.
• They were owner of modern instruments of agriculture in fact they were LORDS in rural area.

 Rural Proletariat:

• They cultivated small portion of land.
• Most of them had no land.
• Day labor, unskilled labor, farm workers were included in this class.
• They were half of the total population.

Middle Class:

• 30% of the total population were this class.
• They were absolutely unstable, and their economic status was very low.
• Above two class were created form this Middle class.

The Application of Lenin’s theory in Bangladesh:

Most of the people live in rural area in Bangladesh. They are engaged specially with cultivation. The classification of farmer in Lenin’s theory, already, we have found it in rural peasant society. Normally here we also find some farmer class such as:

• Rich farmer;
• Middle farmer;
• Lower farmer;
• Marginal farmer;

Here rich farmer like as rural bourgeois according to Lenin, exploit other farmer regularly. Having huge land property, modern instrument, the rural bourgeois allows dominate specially the lower and marginal farmer and getting more economic establishment by their big production.

Criticism of Lenin’s Theory

1. Lenin only classified the farmer class. But he did not give any theory for the betterment of the farmer.
2. Lenin’s only studies on the Russian farmer but he did not classify on the other countries farmers.
3. Lenin has no specific theory.
4. He did not give any theory. He only criticized others sociologist’s theory.
5. He has no specific explanation to the middle class farmer.
6. Without village Bourgeoisie and village proletariat there arise other classes, but he has no opinion about this class.
7. He did not get the time to presenting his theory. He just got his theory in the time of debating.