Author:

Dr P. Sadasivam
1Assistant Professor
Department of History
Madras Christian College (Autonomous)
Tambaram East, Chennai – 600059

Email: sadashine@yahoo.co.in

Abstract:: This paper explores the complex interplay between agrarian commercialisation and the rise of nationalist politics in the Madras Presidency during British colonial rule. The introduction of cash crops, expansion of railways, and integration of the rural economy into global capitalist markets during the late 19th and early 20th centuries significantly transformed agrarian structures in South India. While these changes led to the growth of rural indebtedness, land alienation, and class differentiation, they also created new forms of political consciousness among peasants, landlords, and emerging rural elites. Drawing on archival records, official colonial reports, and nationalist writings, this study examines how economic discontent under colonial agrarian policies catalysed the formation of peasant movements and contributed to the broader nationalist struggle. Special attention is given to the role of the Congress and non-Congress formations, such as the Justice Party and regional peasant organisations, in mobilising rural populations. By situating agrarian commercialisation within the political economy of colonialism, the paper reveals how the countryside became a site of both exploitation and resistance, laying the groundwork for anti-colonial mobilisation in Madras.

Key Words:: Nationalism, Commercialisation, Peasants, Agrarian Policies & Colonialism.