In which one among the following areas of South- East Asia, there is largest concentration of peasant population?

In South-East Asia, the largest concentration of the peasant population is found in areas where grain farming, specifically intensive rice cultivation, is practiced. While shifting cultivation (swidden) is widespread in forested and upland regions [2], it is associated with low population densities due to the low productivity of the land and the need for long fallow periods. In contrast, intensive subsistence farming in lowlands and river valleys supports high population pressure [4]. These monsoon climatic regions facilitate intensive cultivation of grains like rice, which sustains the majority of the rural peasantry. Historical demographic dynamism in 'rice civilizations' led to the saturation of agricultural space in lowlands, often resulting in the migration of these peasant populations into forest areas. Thus, the core concentration remains in the fertile, grain-producing lowlands rather than the sparsely populated shifting cultivation zones.

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Shifting Cultivation > p. 435
2. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 10: Locational Factors of Economic Activities > Shifting agriculture or Primitive Subsistence agriculture > p. 13
3. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Population and Economy in Monsoon Climate > p. 433