Early Medieval Indian Society

The book analyses the transition from the ancient to the medieval period in polity, economy, the caste system and culture. It examines the form of peasant protest and the reasons for their failure and infrequency. The author also examines the development of tantrism and the mentality that feudalism created.

This book examines women and society in India during 600–1200 CE through epigraphs. It offers an analysis of inscriptional data at the pan-India level to explore key themes, including early marriage, deprivation of girls from education, property rights, widowhood and satī, as well as women in administration and positions of power. The volume also traces gender roles and agency across religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, the major religions of the times, and sheds light on a range of political, social, economic and religious dimensions. A panoramic critique of contradictions and conformity between inscriptional and literary sources, including pieces of archaeological evidence against traditional views on patriarchal stereotypes, as also regional parities and disparities, the book presents an original understanding of women’s status in early medieval South Asian society. Rich in archival material, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers of ancient and medieval Indian history, social history, archaeology, epigraphy, sociology, cultural studies, gender studies and South Asian studies.

Publisher Description

These essays explore the processes of change in Indian society over the period from about the seventh to the thirteenth century. Departing radically from the current historiography on the period, the author posits change as represented by processes of progressive transformation, not by the breakdown of an earlier social order. Within this framework, he discusses such diverse themes as irrigation, urbanization, the formation of a dominant ruling caste, and the structure of polity in general.

Economic History Of Early Medieval Northern India Is An Attempt To Present The Picture Of Agrarian Formation And Economic Changing Which Early Medieval India Had Experienced. This Book Is A Comprehensive And Systematic Study Of The Economic Institutions Such As Agriculture, Types Of Crops, Nature Of Peasantry, Land Grants, Internal And Domestic Trade, Urban Concept, Forced Labour And Paucity Of Coins Etc.The Book Does Not Claim To Present A General Economic History Of Early Medieval India In The Traditional Manner. The Distinctive Characteristic Of This Book Lies In The Fact That It Present The Thesis Of Economic Development And Changes Which Took Place During The Period Of Study. An Attempt Has Been Made To Make An Evolution Of The One Of The Most Critical Periods Of Indian History With Main Focus On Agrarian Structure And Economic Institutions. The Study Has Been Based Both On The Literary And Epigraphical Sources. The Book, Therefore, Present A Deteriorating Grim Scenario About The Agricultural And Economic Condition Of The Historical Period Spanning From 8Th Century To 10Th Century A.D. It Also Traces The Causal Complexities Which Forced The Peasant To Accept Their Fate Passively And Without A Murmur.

This volume explores the processes and nature of change in the making of early medieval Indian society from the seventh to the thirteenth century AD. This edition comes with an extensive introduction highlighting a new framework for understanding early medieval India.