(i) Peasants formed the overwhelming majority of the population in mediaeval India. It was, however, not homogeneous.

(ii) On the one side there were rich peasants (Khuts and muqaddams during Delhi Sultanate and Khudakasht during the Mughal period), having large holdings and cultivating their lands with the help of hired labour. On the other side there were small peasants and village menials. They were known by different names in different regions of India. They were known as balahars, raza Riaya, pattis, kunbis, pahikasht etc. Bulk of the peasantry was known as raiyat.

(iii) The peasants had to pay large parts of their produce as land revenue. Besides, a large number of landed intermediaries appropriated a share in the surplus of produce.

(iv) Mediaeval Indian peasants also dealt with frequent natural calamities like flood, famine, epidemics etc.

(v) An average peasant always found himself subsisting on margins owing to the regressive nature of land tax, the extensive burden of interaction on loans taken, frequent famine, disease and epidemic.

(vi) Sometimes hardships and resentments forced the peasants to protest and revolt. Muhammad bin Tughlaq's efforts to enhance the revenue rates in the doab region led to a very serious agrarian uprising in the region. During the reign of Aurangzeb large scale uprisings of the Jats, Sikh, Marathas and Satanamis were noticed.