Prof Mushtaq Kaw's book 'Kashmir Feudalism: Amid Changing Land Tenures', delves into the historical socio-economic conditions of Kashmir, particularly highlighting the stark contrast between the privileged few and the impoverished masses. Kaw traces the roots of feudalism in the region, emphasising the enduring class-based society shaped by agrarian relations.From the pre-sultanate period to the Mughal, Sikh, and Dogra regimes, the peasantry's plight worsened, marked by oppressive exactions and forced flight from their lands. The British colonial era further intensified the suffering, culminating in Maharaja Gulab Singh's revocation of peasants' rights. The peasantry, tied to the land, endured unprecedented taxation, symbolized by even taxing night soil.The report underscores the transformative post-1947 era, where the popular government abolished feudal systems, distributing land among tenants without compensation. Kaw's reluctance to label the perio