Letter 14 | The Changes Brought About by Agriculture(English)| Letters From a Father to His Daughter

In this letter, Jawaharlal Nehru explains the concept of the division of labor and its evolution through history. He begins by describing how, in early human societies, there was little division of labor, with everyone focused on hunting. Over time, a basic division occurred between men, who hunted, and women, who stayed at home to care for children and animals.

With the advent of agriculture, more complex divisions of labor emerged as some people farmed while others continued to hunt. This shift to agriculture also led to the development of settled communities, as people needed to stay near their cultivated land. Agriculture made life easier by providing more food than hunting, allowing people to store surplus food.

Nehru then discusses the concept of surplus, explaining that in hunter-gatherer societies, people lived hand-to-mouth, with no surplus to store. However, with agriculture, people began to produce more food than they needed, leading to the accumulation of surplus resources. This surplus is the basis for wealth, as seen in modern banking systems, where people deposit surplus money.

Nehru also touches on the idea that in contemporary society, the distribution of surplus is often unfair, with some people gaining wealth without working, while others work hard but remain poor. He suggests that this imbalance is a cause of poverty in the world, though he notes that this may be difficult for Indira to fully understand at her young age.