Indian Village Revisited: Ranawaton-ki-sadri 1955-2005

Book Details

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: Brij Raj Chauhan

• Editor: Yogesh Atal

• Language: English

• Edition: 2018

• ISBN: 9788131609262

• Pages: 234

• Cover: Hardcover

About the Book
Indian Village Revisited is a posthumous work by Brij Raj Chauhan, one of Rajasthan’s founding sociologists. The book is based on Chauhan’s ethnographic study of the village Ranawaton-ki-Sadri, located in the Udaipur district, which he first researched in the 1950s. Chauhan’s revisit to the village in the early 2000s forms the core of this study, marking a significant effort in comparing rural life over half a century.

This work highlights the sociological changes in the village between the 1950s and the early 21st century, tracing the impacts of urbanization, modernization, democratic decentralization, and the emergence of party politics. The book also draws upon extensive secondary data to assess how these broader socio-political forces have transformed the microcosm of the village.

Written in a descriptive ethnographic style, the book takes an in-depth look at the evolution of village life. It provides a comprehensive account of the social profiles, rituals, and new institutions that have emerged, as well as the increasing complexities faced by the village community. The work is a tribute to the legacy of Professor Chauhan, who passed away shortly after completing the study. Edited by one of his students, Yogesh Atal, the book includes a personal tribute to Chauhan and other obituaries from those who knew him.

This volume is the first of its kind in revisiting a rural community in India, offering valuable insights into the continuity and change within a specific Indian village. It holds significant relevance for scholars of sociology, rural studies, and Indian history.

Contents

• Preliminaries

• Prologue – T.M. Dak

• Prolegomenon – Yogesh Atal

• The Author and the Editor: Mutual Introductions

  • Yogesh Atal introducing Brij Raj Chauhan

  • Chauhan introducing Atal

• The Book: Indian Village Revisited

• Preface

1. Sources of Data

2. The Village

3. Social Profiles I

4. Social Profiles II

5. Rituals of the Village Life

6. New Institutions

7. Negotiating with Increasing Complexities

• Obituaries and Tributes

  • Obituary: Brij Raj Chauhan – Yogesh Atal

  • Brij Raj Chauhan: A Personal Tribute – Surendra Munshi

  • Remembering Professor Brij Raj Chauhan – Jagdish Kumar Pundir

  • My Guru Chauhan Saheb – Jainendra Kumar Doshi

About the Author / Editor
Brij Raj Chauhan was a pioneer in the field of sociology in Rajasthan. He was the founder Professor of Sociology in the state and served as the Director of the Rajasthan Tribal Research Institute, Udaipur. Chauhan was also the first President of the Indian Sociological Society and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. His contributions to rural sociology and his academic work are widely recognized.

Yogesh Atal, the editor, is an esteemed sociologist with international recognition. He has held prominent positions, including the first Research Director at the Indian Council for Social Science Research and a senior position at UNESCO. Atal has published extensively in the fields of sociology and human sciences and is currently Emeritus Professor at the M.P. Institute of Social Science Research, Ujjain.