Eminent historian BD Chattopadhyaya passed away recently. Go through this article to understand his contribution.
Also, expect a question related to Early Medieval this year, esp the debate surrounding it's characterization as Feudal Age, it's economy as well as Emergence of Rajputs.
https://thewire.in/history/bd-chattopadhyaya-early-medieval-india-obituary
#feudalism #earlymedieval #historian #historyinnews #historiography #debate
Also, expect a question related to Early Medieval this year, esp the debate surrounding it's characterization as Feudal Age, it's economy as well as Emergence of Rajputs.
https://thewire.in/history/bd-chattopadhyaya-early-medieval-india-obituary
#feudalism #earlymedieval #historian #historyinnews #historiography #debate
The Wire
B.D. Chattopadhyaya: The Man Who Shaped Our Conception of Early Medieval India
Perhaps the secret to the historian's tremendous magnitude of work was embedded in his deep-rooted commitment to the idea of plurality as an alternative to singular or monolithic approaches to perceiving India's past.
Factors which paved the way for the rise of feudalism in India:
1. The concept of Dharma Vijaya, which was first mentioned in Arthashastra. In other words, Shakas, Kushanas, Guptas avoided complete annexation of defeated Kings, rather, they were allowed to rule as subordinated. This definitely created a hierarchy.
2. External invasions led to political fragmentations, viz. Hun invasions and Turkish invasions.
3. Land grants.
4. Decline in trade & commerce and money economy at least in some parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Features of Indian feudalism:
1. Political fragmentation and increased number of subordinate kings.
2. Rise of intermediaries between King and cultivators.
3. Emergence of overlord and subordinate peasantry. Overlords claimed a large part of the agrarian surplus on account of their supposed ownership of land and peasant-cultivator obliged to such exploitation on account of his loyalty to tradition and customs.
4. Landlordism was associated even with temples and monasteries.
5. In at least some of the land grants, peasants and craftsmen were tied with the land. So, they were transferred to the donees along with land. This resulted into feudalisation of agriculture and crafts, also known as Jajmani system.
6. Some of the big feudal lords started to give a part of their grant to subordinate chiefs. Thus, started the subinfeudation (hierarchy of lords).
7. Some of the grantees had military obligation to meet.
8. Feudal consciousness had been expressed in contemporary art and religion also.
Differences between European and Indian Feudalism:
1. Serfdom and manorial system were absent in India.
2. In the European context, feudalism was a phase which emerged out of the slave based economic production model i.e. a slave based economy to a serf based economy. In India, slaves existed but they were mainly deployed within household. Slave based production system was absent in India.
#feudalism #earlymedieval
1. The concept of Dharma Vijaya, which was first mentioned in Arthashastra. In other words, Shakas, Kushanas, Guptas avoided complete annexation of defeated Kings, rather, they were allowed to rule as subordinated. This definitely created a hierarchy.
2. External invasions led to political fragmentations, viz. Hun invasions and Turkish invasions.
3. Land grants.
4. Decline in trade & commerce and money economy at least in some parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Features of Indian feudalism:
1. Political fragmentation and increased number of subordinate kings.
2. Rise of intermediaries between King and cultivators.
3. Emergence of overlord and subordinate peasantry. Overlords claimed a large part of the agrarian surplus on account of their supposed ownership of land and peasant-cultivator obliged to such exploitation on account of his loyalty to tradition and customs.
4. Landlordism was associated even with temples and monasteries.
5. In at least some of the land grants, peasants and craftsmen were tied with the land. So, they were transferred to the donees along with land. This resulted into feudalisation of agriculture and crafts, also known as Jajmani system.
6. Some of the big feudal lords started to give a part of their grant to subordinate chiefs. Thus, started the subinfeudation (hierarchy of lords).
7. Some of the grantees had military obligation to meet.
8. Feudal consciousness had been expressed in contemporary art and religion also.
Differences between European and Indian Feudalism:
1. Serfdom and manorial system were absent in India.
2. In the European context, feudalism was a phase which emerged out of the slave based economic production model i.e. a slave based economy to a serf based economy. In India, slaves existed but they were mainly deployed within household. Slave based production system was absent in India.
#feudalism #earlymedieval