Veth (India)

Veth, also known as begar, was a system of forced labour practised in India, in which members of populace were compelled to perform corvee labour for the government.
In the Maratha Confederacy, Veth-begar was practised on a wide scale during the Peshwa regime. Certain groups of people, such as Brahmins, Kayasthas, Marathas, and Kasars of Saswad region, were exempted from veth-begar.
The system continued to be practised in the princely states during the British Raj. For example, in the Mewer State, peasants were forced to engage in begar. As part of veth, the peasants and low-caste people were forced to supply water to the ruler's family; construct buildings, roads, and dams; and carry dead and wounded soldiers. The British government exempted Christians from veth-begar.