# The Rich Peasants

A characteristic figure of the Hungarian village was the rich peasant or, as they called him in some parts of the Great Plain, basaparaszt (pasha peasant). The development of this stratum had already begun in the age of serfdom, since certain families were able to increase their movable and landed property considerably despite feudal restrictions. Especially in the Great Plain, it was possible to increase the number of animals in the stock, while in other areas they increased their stock through selling and buying. After the liberation of the serfs opportunities increased for the rich peasants who possessed some capital. They began to use not only day labourers but also permanent farmhands to cultivate their growing amounts of land. In most cases they exploited their employees even more than the large estates did, if for no other reason, than because they were always present themselves, and did not tolerate anyone’s resting or standing around but constantly urged their labourers to work.

A significant proportion of the rich peasants kept the form of the extended family, since work opportunity was plentiful on the property, and it was also necessary for one member of the family, while working alongside the farmhands, to be constantly inspecting their work. Their houses differed from the traditional cottages of the village more in size than in form. Their farm buildings were much larger and more spacious as required, so that they could lodge all the produce and stock. They were the first among the peasants to introduce new, improved, and at the same time more expensive work implements, with which they tried to increase the yield of the land.

In broad outlines their culture and traditions conformed to those of the other peasant strata. Their clothes were also similar, only they bought their holiday clothes of better quality and more expensive material. This peasant stratum stood closest to the village intellectuals, and so they liked to marry their daughters to teachers and ministers and attempted to adapt their life style to them. For this reason the new kinds of furniture appeared in their houses first, their women parted first with folk costumes, and even in their kitchen they liked to use upper-class novelties. To generalize broadly, this stratum parted earliest with some of their former traditions.

The leaders of the village rose from among the rich peasants, members {77.} of the magistracy, the judges, and other office holders. This was partly because they could afford the time to handle communal affairs, and partly because they liked to attach themselves to the professional leaders of the village. They could also represent the interests of their families in this way.