Transcript Chapter 11 - WordPress.com

Ch. 11 Feudalism in the
Regional States
1. Feudalism
2. Society
3. Literature and arts
4. Religion
1. Feudalism
• Political fragmentation is clear and complete in
northern India
• Each area is seen as an independent kingdom
with its own feudatories
• Regional variations of feudatories can be
noticed
• Regional histories were written praising the
history of the region as an independent entity
• Chand Bardai- wrote Prithviraj Raso- the story of
Prithviraja- history of the Chauhans in N.W and
Delhi.
Feudalism
• Historians argued if India have a feudatory
system similar to that of medieval European
feudalism• The question is no. The peasants were not tied
to the land as in the European system, but
movement from one area to other is equally
difficult, but not impossible.
• Indian feudalism is characterized by a series of
hierarchical relations, that functioned on
economic obligations
Hierarchical relations
• King- land grants of officials in lieu of pay- peasant
worked on the land(the beginning of rudimentary
feudatory system.
• But this did not banish others from holding landpeasants also held lands and farmed independently
• In fact, small land holding are common- so as to negate
the actual economic benefit of farming- relegating it to
self- sufficiency.
• The relationship of the peasants-feudals and kinds
rested in providing the economic basis
• The peasant paid to the feudal and the feudal lord in turn
paid to the king
The feudatories
• Relationship to the king is close but subordinate
• Feudatories were allowed the freedom to donate land
without obtaining prior permission from the king
• Larger feudatories had their own sub-feudatories
• Maintained troops, paid revenue, and also obliged to
attend royal ceremonies and court festivals
• In return the feudatories were allowed the usage of title,
and various symbols of royal dignity.
• Titles: Mahasammata, Mandaleswara etc.
Land grants
• Only the revenue of the land was granted
technically as pay- but the land was held
hereditary- and the feudal title also continued
hereditarily
• Maintained military- and participated in the
battles with the king
• Sometimes feudatories led battles on behalf of
the king
• The kings did not maintain large standing armies
• This weakened the kings- land and military held
by feudatories
Villages
• Villages were grouped for revenue- 10 in the
north,
• Units of 12 or 16 in the south
• Pratiharas divided into groups of 84- making it
possible for the origin of clan chiefs in many
regions.
• Revenue paid from villages was not used to
maintain public works- but personal use by
feudatories and kings
• Extra charges were levied for such services
• Incentive to produce more was lacking-
• Village crafts were taxed
• Land revenue was 1/3 to 1/6 of produce
• Village assemblies (panchayats) continued- but
functioned more at local lavel- in social and
judicial matters rather than political
• The nominees for the village assemblies are
approved by the king- although they functioned
independently- in their day to day matters
Militaristic
• The feudatory system survived on constant
battles and imaginary heroic virtue praised in
death
• Their women committed sati when they died in
battle- forces or obligatory, it became
fashionable- Manudharmasastra- commentaries
were used
• Death is seen as a virtue- militarism pervaded
the life
• Heroic ideals were instilled from the childhood
Legal texts- inheritance
• Dayabhaga and Mitaksara provided the
basis for civil law
• Ownership of land in the male family
members
• Overland trade declined- Mongols and
Turks closed the N.W and silk routeconnecting China on the east with Westmediate by India
Sea trade
• Sea trade continued- number of ports flourished
• A number of ports were referred to by Arab
geographers: Cambay, Thana, Sopara and
Kolam (Quilan).
• Internal trade continued- although the
importance of guilds declined as trade was
minimal
• Caste considerations dominated money lending
and trade also
2. Society
• Caste system became stronger and pervaded
every field of activity which was restricting for the
economic development
• Arab historian record seven castes likeMegasthenes- theoretically four castes but more
castes in practice prevailed
• A number of new sub-castes were recorded at
this time: Khatris (accountants) claim Ksatriya
origin but regarded as a mixed caste of Ksatriya
and Sudra
• Untouchability and pollution rules- common
Education
• Most villages had schools attached to temples
• Mathas of Saiva and Vaishnavas also taught
education
• Buddhist and Jain centers of education also
prevailed although major centers were
destroyed by Turkish raids
• Most of it is theological education in Sanskrit
• But legal as well as science was also taught
• Medical texts composed at this time: Charaka
Samhita and Sushruta Samhita- medicine both
human and veterinary was practiced
Literatures
• Dominated by lyric poetry and prose
romances
• Kathasaritsagara- of Somadevaanthology of stories
• Bilhana- Vikramankadevacharita- story of
the king Vikramaditya IV- Chalukya ruler
• Rajatarangini (history of Kashmir)
composed by Kalhana
• Numerous plays were composed
Lyric poetry
• Bhakti theology• Jayadeva’s Gitagovinda- celebrated the
relationship of Krishna to Radha
• But imagines this as a relationship of the soul of
devotee to that of the god
• New languages emerged: Prakrit gave rise to
Apabramsa- which gave rise to western Indian
languages- Gujarati and Marathi
• The prakrit of Magadha gave rise to Eastern
Indian languages: Bengali, Assamese, Bhojpuri
etc.
Archetecture
• Three styles of archetectur prevailed in the
case of temples
• Nagara- North Indian- Curvilinear Shikhara
• Vesara: Central Indian- Star shapedshikhara: seen in Orissa templesKhujaraho
• Dravida: south Indian- triangular shikharaTemples in the south
Religion
Hinduism is predominated by Saiva (central deity
Siva) and Vaishnava (central deity, Vishnu) sects
• Bhakti religion dominated: Ahimsa and spiritual
• Tantra is seen in Saivism
• Jainism declined- almost became a sect of
Hinduism
• Buddhism adopted Tantric theology- adopted in
Tibet
• Relationship of male and female elements is
seen as central to spirituality in Tantrism
• Tantric doctrine in Buddhism led to the
foundation of a new school: Vajrayana
Buddhism
• Numerous gods in Hinduism- multicultural
multifaceted religion
• Zoroshtrianism entered India
• Numerous religions and practices
• Islam enters as a new religion
• Islam brought new sects into the religious
mosaic of India:
• Sufism
• Embraced the mystic religious ideal- similar to
the Bhakti religion of Hinduism
• Both flourished giving spiritual fulfillment to
common people
• This period is dominated by political
fragmentation: new languages, literature,
religion and philosophy