This paper focusses attention on certain aspects of the tenancy question which have been inadequately considered, if not totally missed out, both in model-building exercises as well as in date collection. Information on who leases land from whom as well as on the terms and conditions, with possible variations in them, that accompany the leases is crucial for analysing the tenurial question-to understand the functioning of the 'lease market' and the mode of exploitation. The authors have here used illustratively data on these subjects for villages of Crissa. Section 1 of the article sets out in broad terms some relevant features of the authors' approach. In section II, using the information obtained from the villages studied, the authors discuss certain features of leases: who leases from whom, the motivation for and preferences in leasing out as expressed by landlords themselves and the variations in the terms and conditions of leases. The prevalence of a mode of exploitation that operates through a tie-up between land and labour is noted, as is the fact that even within seemingly rigid conventional shares under sharecropping, landlords may be able to extract more (or secure less) depending upon the relative status of the lessor and the lessee. Important differences among the irrigated, unirrigated, cash crop and tribal areas are also considered. In Section III, the authors suggest as explanation for a transition from sharecropping to fixed rent, observed in the villages studied, following the introduction of irrigation and high-yielding paddy.