This volume investigates the complex relationship between agrarian power structures and the resulting levels of agricultural productivity across South Asia. Edited by Meghnad Desai, Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, and Ashok Rudra, the text compiles scholarly research to examine how land ownership, social hierarchies, and political influence dictate the efficiency and output of farming systems in the region. The contributors utilize a combination of historical analysis and economic data to argue that productivity is not merely a technical outcome but a consequence of entrenched power dynamics.

Experts recognize this collection as a foundational text for understanding the political economy of South Asian agriculture. Scholars frequently cite the work for its rigorous approach to linking socio-political power with economic performance in developing rural economies.