Rise of Urban Centres

2020-04-27 11:45:44

Rise of Urban Centres
- Rise of Urban Centers:
  - Types of Cities Mentioned
    - Coins and Trade
    - City Life
  - Impact of Iron Technology on Mahajanpadas
- PYQs

Rise of Urban Centers:

2nd urbanization as per RS Sharma
urban centre - place where most powerful and visible sections of popu engaged in activities other than food production
urban society - craft specialists, rich poor people and state adm
inc agri production - inc use of iron tools practice of wet rice cultivation in the middle Gangetic Valley
Large no of iron tools have been found in Ujjain, Sravasti and Hastinapur
Increase iron tools also improved warfare and the want to control more territory further bringing in more land into cultivation for the want of greater wealth.
productivity/yield per acre of rice was more than that of wheat which meant more food surplus to appropriate leading to the dev of non-food based occupations and sustenance of larger population.

Types of Cities Mentioned

Books like the Divyavadana and Apastamber Dharmasutra provide us with an idea of the city in those times very idealistic depiction.
Pura -> in early vedic period it meant fortified settlements or temporary place of refuge later it came to be known as a main city.
Durga -> denotes a fortified capital of a king.
Nigama -> it meant a merchant town, coins with the legene ‘Nigama’ has been found. Section of a city were also called Nigama where cradt specialists used to live.
Nagara -> was used first in the Taittiriya Aranyaka it refers to a city. It combined the political function of the Pura and commercial function of the Nigama.
Rajdhani → Capital city
Nagaraka → small town
Mahanagara → big cities viz Champa, Rajgriha, Shravasti

Coins and Trade

Various kinds of traders: shopkeepers (apanika), retailers (KrayaVikrayika) and money investors (Setthi-Gahapati)
Coins came into use in this period for the first time in ancient India, were punchmarked coins.
Coins promoted organised commerce, they bear various kinds of symbols on one side and were issued by merchants led to the rise of money lending class.
The coin of highest value was the silver satamana. This was followed by the Karsapana. The copper masas and kakani were coins of smaller denomination

City Life

Early Buddhist texts like Vinaya Pitaka suggest about Kutis or hamlets forming villages.
Pali texts refer to gamas/gramas of park attendants, carpenters, reed makers etc. Terms like gama-gamani and gamika refers to village headmaen and overseers.
A marked increase of iron artefacts can be seen at NBPW levels. Large landholdings have been mentioned some of them were Brahmadeyas as mentioned in Samyutta Nikaya.
Idea of private property had developed as suggested by Vinaya Pitaka and Anguttara Nikaya. Kings had large tracts of lands. Land was also an imp source of revenue.
Buddhist texts mentions dasas, dasis and Kammakaras and working in households.
Atranjikhera shows an overlap of PGW and NBPW phase suggesting a transition phase from village to towns. size of settlements increased.
Northern Black Polished ware s one of the indicators of the broad cultural uniformity in the Gangetic Valley towns of the 6th century BC.

Impact of Iron Technology on Mahajanpadas

Use of Iron increased gradually over the centuries and massive deforestation of Ganga valley took place in the Colonial period.
Its beginning could be dated to 800BC. Kodumanal which has yielded Tamil-Brahmi writings on pothserds is imp for South India dated around 500BC.
Cities had diff functions ex trade, political control, craft, production etc. It foundation were laid in :
- estd of firm agricultural base to maintain surplus
- Population increased
- Increased craft specialization, trade and beginning of use of money → social complexity
- Political leadership → centralisation

PYQs

Trace the development of urbanization from the third millennium B.C.E. to 6th century B.C.E. [2011, 60m]

Rise of Urban Centres

What role did iron play in changing their political and economic life? [1998, 60m]

Impact of Iron technology :

Iron was a major game-changer in the political and economic life of people in the Indian subcontinent from 2000 BCE to 200 CE. Iron was first discovered in the Indian subcontinent during the Vedic period (c. 1500–500 BCE) and it quickly became the metal of choice for weapons and tools. This had a profound impact on the political and economic life of the people in the region.

Iron allowed for the production of better weapons, which allowed for the emergence of large and powerful states. The increased military power of these states allowed them to expand their territories, resulting in the emergence of the first major empires in the region. The most notable example of this was the Maurya Empire, which was founded in the 4th century BCE and spanned much of the Indian subcontinent. The Mauryan Empire was the first to unify the region, which had been divided into many small kingdoms prior to its emergence. This unification allowed for increased trade and economic integration, which in turn allowed for the emergence of a more advanced economy.

Iron also allowed for the development of better agricultural tools, which allowed for increased production of food. This allowed for the growth of larger and more complex societies, as well as the emergence of cities due to surplus appropriation. This increased population growth and urbanization led to the emergence of a more complex economy and the development of a money-based economy. This new economic system allowed for the emergence of a merchant class, which in turn allowed for increased trade and the development of a more diversified economy.

The increased military power of the states and the emergence of a more complex economy allowed for increased social mobility. This allowed for the emergence of a more stratified society, with a distinct upper class and lower class. This stratification allowed for the emergence of a more complex political system, with the upper classes having more power and influence. This in turn allowed for the emergence of more organized and powerful states, which allowed for the emergence of a more centralized government.

Iron played a major role in transforming the political and economic life of people in the Indian subcontinent. It enabled the production of weapons and tools, which allowed for the emergence of new social classes and the formation of larger political organizations. As historian Romila Thapar notes, “Iron was the major technological innovation that transformed the lives of people in the subcontinent.”

Historian Upinder Singh adds that “iron gave the people of the subcontinent access to a range of weapons and tools, and this allowed for the emergence of new social classes and larger political organizations.” Iron also enabled the production of agricultural tools, which allowed for the intensification of agricultural production and the emergence of a more complex economy.

Historian Sanjay Subrahmanyam further argues that “iron was central to the emergence of the early state systems in the Indian subcontinent, as it allowed for the production of weapons and tools that could be used in warfare and state formation.” Iron also enabled the production of tools and weapons that allowed for the expansion of trade and commerce.

Evaluate the introduction of iron technology in the development of human history of ancient India. [2011, 20m]

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The introduction of iron technology in ancient India was a major step forward in the development of human history. Iron technology allowed for the production of tools and weapons that were more durable and effective than those made from stone and other materials. This technology allowed for the growth of civilizations, the development of trade networks, and the spread of new ideas and technologies.

Iron technology was first developed in the Indian subcontinent during the late Harappan period, around 1500 BCE. It is believed that the technology was introduced to India by people from the Middle East, who brought the knowledge of smelting and forging iron with them. Iron technology was quickly adopted by the local populations and spread to other parts of the subcontinent.

The introduction of iron technology had a profound impact on the development of ancient India. Iron tools and weapons were much more durable and effective than stone tools, allowing for the development of more efficient agricultural techniques. Iron tools also allowed for the construction of larger and more complex structures, such as forts and palaces. This allowed for the growth of cities and the development of more complex societies.

The use of iron tools also allowed for the development of trade networks. Iron tools and weapons could be traded between different regions, allowing for the spread of new ideas and technologies. This allowed for the growth of commerce and the development of new technologies, such as the spinning wheel and the chariot.

Iron technology also allowed for the development of more effective weapons. Iron weapons were more durable and effective than stone weapons, allowing for the development of more effective armies. This allowed for the growth of empires and the spread of new ideas and technologies.

The introduction of iron technology also had a major impact on the religious and cultural development of ancient India. Iron tools and weapons were used to construct religious and cultural artifacts, such as temples and sculptures. This allowed for the spread of new religious and cultural ideas, such as the Vedic religion and the development of Hinduism.