STRUGGLES OF MXLABAR PEASANTRY 1934-40 5 refused to accede to any of the demands set forth by the representatives. The demands were: an end to varakuli (rent charges) and to the practice of farm labourers being part of a kanam tenancy transaction (trade in serf labour). The meeting held immediately afterwards condemned the landlord for his intransigence and harassment of sangham workers by litigation.6 A 3000-strong jatha marched from Korome, Erima and other places to meet their landlord, the Vengayil Valia Nayanar in October 1938. After a discussion lasting three hours the jenmi agreed to give up the important feudal levies like vast and nuri and to use the standard measure for rent in kind.6 The jatha to the Koodali Thazatha Veetil landlord was composed of 4000 peasants who sent a deputation to ineet the jenmi. They demanded stoppage of feudal levies and free labour. The landlord agreed to give up some of the small levies.7 The early peasant jathas were directed at some of the biggest landlords of Malabar. The Chirakkal Raja's family owned about 30,000 acres; the Vengayil Nayanar family owned over 200,000 acres., including forest lands; the Kurumathoor Namboodiripad owned 5615 acres and the Kalliat jenmi had 36,779 acres in his possession.8 A survey conducted in 20 villages in Chirakkal taluk (an area where the peasant movement was active) based on village records found that all these landlords held substantial amounts of land.9 The jenmis acting through karyasthans (agents) were the unchallenged lords of vast domains and considered the tenants as nothing better than serfs. The organized marches of peasants holding red flags and shouting slogans of ^death to landlordism" and ^give up oppressive levies" presaged the new social forces rising to overthrow the decaying jenmi system. Its impact on traditional rural society was immeasurable. The age-old weapon of the landlords—social boycott—was now effectively turned against them. Those landlords who refused to give up their privileges found no barbers to shave them, no washermen to wash their clothes and, worst of all, no washerwomen to provide the traditional mattu (cloth) required by their orthodox women during menstruation and preganancy.18 Compromise and Backlash The rising force of the united peasantly compelled many smaller landlords, and some of the bigger ones, to make concessions. For instance in Kuttoor, a small landlord wrote to the local sangham secretary that henceforth he would collect only the actual rent and stop all other customary dues.11 In Panniyoor, the pradesh sangham workers met the Namboodiri landlord who, after a four-hour discussion, agreed to give up vast and other levies.12 His para (measure) was examined and found faulty and the jenmi agreed to adjust rent accordingly and issue receipts for rent paid. These concessions given by the landlords were extracted by the growing strength of the movement and the success of the sangham