Chapter Info (Click Here)
Book No. – 8 (Medieval History of India)
Book Name – Political Structure and State Formation in Early Medieval India
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Introduction
2. Sources for the Reconstruction of Society
3. Changing Material Base and the New Social Order
4. The New Social Ethos
5. Emergence of Shudras as Cultivators
6. Rise of a New Literate Class
7. Proliferation of Caste
7.1. Amongst Brahmanas
7.2. Amongst Kshatriyas
7.3. Amongst Vaishyas and Shudras
8. Land Sharing, Feudal Ranks and Varna Distinctions
9. Rising Social Tensions
10. Conclusion
Note: The first chapter of every book is free.
Access this chapter with any subscription below:
- Half Yearly Plan (All Subject)
- Annual Plan (All Subject)
- History (Single Subject)
- CUET PG + History
- UGC NET + History
Proliferation of Castes in Early Medieval India
Chapter – 7
Introduction
The early medieval period saw many social changes.
An important phenomenon was the proliferation or increase in the number of castes.
One reason for this was the inclusion of newer groups into Brahmanical society.
As the number of land grants increased, new areas were brought under cultivation.
Local tribal people shifted from hunting to agriculture, transforming into peasants and assimilating into society as Sudras.
The land grants resulted in the movement and migration of Brahmanas to different internal areas, where they introduced and enforced Brahmanical social values.
Land grants also led to the increase in the number of the Kayastha class, who were scribes specializing in drafting and writing land grant documents.
With the rise in the number of land grants, the importance of Kayasthas also increased.
The changing caste hierarchy influenced the position of women in society.
The advent of Islam contributed to the downgrading of women in Indian society.
This period also witnessed the process of Aryanisation in the hinterland regions of India.