Social Banditry PDF

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Lecture 11 – Social Banditry The Theory and Concept Social Banditry o Eric Hobsbawm (WHOLE LECTURE BASICALLY ON HIM) – the social banditry thesis (the first of its time) –> he argued that the ‘“social bandit” was a representative of rural society living on its margins and fighting on its behalf to redistribute wealth o Bandits = peasant heroes Marxism: o Marxism = - FEUDALISM ∇  Rising tensions between classes –> Revolution - CAPITALISM ∇  Rising tensions between classes –> Revolution - SOCIALIST UTOPIA o The Marxist theory of historical materialism ultimately sees human society as fundamentally determined at any given time by its material conditions o The social bandit emerges from that crucial breakdown of that traditional social order (that’s the relation to the Marxism ladder –> from the Feudalism to Capitalism rung) Emergence of social banditry o According to Hobsbawm: - Social bandits emerge during the transition from feudalism to capitalism - ‘social banditry is universally found, wherever societies are based on agriculture (including pastoral economies), and consist largely of peasants and landless labourers ruled, oppressed and exploited by someone else – lords, towns, governments, lawyers, or even banks’ - England has no more social bandits from the eighteenth and nineteenth century onwards, but was still ripe in other regions of the world Main features of Social Banditry o Peasant outlaws whom lord and state regard as criminals, but are consider by their people (the peasants), as champions, heroes and fighters for justice within peasant society, they are meant to be admired, helped and supported o This relationship between the ordinary peasant and the bandit is what distinguishes it from other forms of robbery –> it would be unthinkable for a social bandit to steal from a peasant (working in the fields) (this is the key criteria of the social bandits)

Aims o o o

of social bandits Peasants who refuse to submit to authority and thus stand out Tend to be reactionary rather than revolutionary Socially conservative – they want to right wrongs and restore justice

Different forms of the social bandit: According to Hobsbawm there were three different forms of social bandit: o The noble robber or ‘Robin Hood’ - Victim of injustice (doesn’t go seeking to become an outlaw) - Rights wrongs - Takes from rich to give to the poor - Never killed, except in self-defence - Not enemy of the king - Dies through betrayal - (based mainly upon the character of RH, that’s why so many traits are so similar) o The primitive resistance fighter - In Balkan folkloric tradition, the haiduk is a romanticised hero and leads his fighters into battle against the Ottoman or Habsburg authorities (mostly from Eastern Europe) - People who had been expelled from their land o The avenger - Not so much righters of wrongs, but avengers – not agents of justice but revenge and retaliation against a corrupt and unjust system - Went against the appropriate amount of violence to seek revenge with no care for who was affected or got hurt

Criticism and Problems Blok’s critique of Hobsbawm’s thesis o Bandits ‘vertical’ ties in social hierarchy - Hobsbawm emphasises the the peasant connections within that social group, whereas bandits did have good ‘vertical’ ties with social superiors o Bandit stories and bandit reality - Hobsbawm is criticised a lot for taking some of these stories about these outlaws at a very uncritical level (as some of the stories are really not that true) ‘Vertical’ ties o Problems with the connections between social banditry and class consciousness – eg. in the horizontal ties o Bandits often a form of ‘privatised’ violence for those higher up the social ladder – eg. the vertical ties o Prevents them being social bandits: outlet for frustrated peasants

o Medieval banditry and ‘vertical’ ties: - 2 August 1328, James, John and Nicholas Coteral (famous gang name) attacked Walter Can, vicar of Bakewell (real life example of vertical ties as these gangs were able to pay off judges to let them off) - Robin Hoof helps the knight, who in turn hides the injured Little John in the Gest (another example of having connections above) o These vertical ties are often as important as the horizontal ones (between other peasantry) to get them out of situations, for example Bandit narratives? Myth vs reality? o What is the difference between the social bandit in contemporary literature and in reality? o Important to distinguish between the two, but how often does the social bandit theory actually do this? Other famous outlaws to compare RH to = Diego Corrientes (c. 1781)

Applicable to out Outlaws? Bandit stories by and for peasants o Even if these were only peasant stories, they would still be revealing as they would show us the attitudes, hopes and fears of the peasantry o So, are we seeing peasant concerns over injustice? Or their hope for retribution? o BUT many were actually consumed elites (like the Pastons or Henry VIII in Robin Hood’s case) o Eg. writing intended for economic and cultural elites in ancient Rome Why bandits? Why outlaws? o ‘Outlaw’: devises hos won code of right and wrong o Bandit/outlaw deploys violence according to his own code, subverting the state’s supposed control of violence o Bandit/outlaw leads men who are loyal and effectively controls his own ‘kingdom’ o Can thus be used as an effective vehicle for discussing contemporary socio-political situations o How far do they provide alternative forms of authority? Alternative sources of loyalty? Of justice? By their very nature, do they undermine traditional authority? Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough, and William of Cloudesley o Helped and supported by the peasantry?

o A ‘lytle boye’ hears of the capture of William and warns the outlaws who come to William’s rescue o Boy is actually a swinehead who has seen the outlaws ‘full oft’ in the wood and provides them with food How far were medieval outlaw stories examples of social banditry? o And yet… do they ever rob from the rich to give to the poor? Is economic redistribution ever a concern? (‘A Gest’ – lines 1824-5) o Resistance to authority more important than economic redistribution? Resistance against corrupt, local authority? But how far does this challenge all authority? Questions: o Are social bandits really peasant heroes or does the concept of vertical ties undermine these connections? (bandits did definitely have vertical ties) o What are the differences between the reality of bandits and the cultural myth of social bandits? o And what of these bandit narratives? Were they peasant stories, reflecting their dreams and desires? Perhaps. But were they also for elite consumption? And how does this affect out understanding of social bandits?...