Agrarian Economy and Urban Settlements

2020-04-27 12:10:34

regular use of advanced agri tech, plough cultivation and irrigation technology
Control on means of production and new relations of production was also imp
Brahmadeya, Agrahara settlements and donations assumed a more uniform and universal form
inc in secular land grants along with religious ones
Some historian have pointed out that the land donations to Brahmanas started from the tribal areas but this is not the case, grants were made in settled agriculture and other areas

Agrarian Organisation :

was plot or an entire village given to a Brahmana/group either to bring virgin land into cultivation or bring existing agricultural settlement into new economic order.
Led to integration of socio economic groups into the new Brahmanical order
exempted from taxes partially or totally
Ruling families increased their resource base
- got ideological support for their political power
Were located near major irrigational works, or new ones were constructed for them
Boundaries of various types of land within like wet, dry and garden was carefully demarcated
The human resources like peasants, artisans were also transferred

7th century onwards given to officers of the state.
Rajas, Rajaputras, Ranakas, Mahasamantas mentioned in Pala land charters were vassal connected with lands
continued under the Paramaras, Chalukyas

Were given to religious establishments both Brahmanical and Non-Brahmanical
- Worked as nuclei of agricultural settlement
- helped in acculturation of peasants and tribals
- Temple lands were leased out to tenants in lieu of more rent
donees were given fiscal and administrative rights.
Private ownership or rights originated from this and so did Hereditary ownership

Conversion of Brahmadeya to Non-Brahmadeya and further into Agrahara was cause of tension
Damara revolts in Kashmir, rebellion of Kaivarthas in Bengal, self-immolation in Tamil Nadu, change of donees in Pandya land.
Donees looked for land for cultivation in uncontested areas, Hero stones have been found around agrarian settlements.
Concept of Brahmahatya gained prominence during this time

Exchange Network in Agriculture

After 800 CE there was an increase of local market and exchange within local networks
This led to the emergence of the Merchant Organisation and
led to the change of landownership patterns community of weavers called Jagati Kottali and oil pressers called Telligas participate actively here.

studied in 2 ways :
- Economic history ie trade, commerce and craft
- Political/administrative history ie capital, administrative centres
Gordon V Childe - listed monumental buildings, dense population, large settlements, existence of non-agricultural occupations viz rulers, artisans, merchants, presence of craft specialists, role of agricultural surplus.
RS Sharma in his Urban Decay focused on :
- Quality of material life and nature of occupants
- Integrally linked with rural hinterland
Other traits pointed are :
- Size, area, population.
- Proximity to water resources
- Presence or absence of artefacts like axes, chisels, plough-shares etc
- Evidence of coin moulds
- Luxury goods
- Shops, streets, drains and fortifications
General pattern was that of revival of urban centres with regional variations

Rural Centres transformed into Urban Centres
- Brahmadeya and Devadana villages became nuclei of growth
- Ex Kumbakonam and Kanchipuram

were primarily exchange network centres
Ex Nagaram of South India, Nakhara and Nagaramu in Karnataka and Andhra.
Served as market places for Nadu
Ones located in intersection and important trade routes developed into commercial centres.
In Karnataka were headed by chief called pattanasvami
In Rajasthan and MP centres were named after merchant families like Khandelvalas, Osawala etc.
Bayana in Rajasthan and Bhrigukacha in Gujarat traded in horses, elephants, jewels etc.
Shimoga, Belgaum in Karnataka; Thana, Goa, Bhatkal, Karwar, Honavar and Mangalore were other sites.
In Andhra Peruru, Motupalli, Vishakhapatnam, Ghantasala developed as trading sites ^3p5nr8
Kerala had trade with Jews, Christians, Arabs. Cities were Kollam, Kozhikode.

Spread of Bhakti aided the dev of such centres
Cultural interaction of Brahmanical and Non Brahmanical sects
Pushkara in Rajasthan, Banaras, Srirangam (Vaishnava), Chidambaram (Shaiva) and Madurai (Shaiva) developed.
Melkote in Karnataka
Alampur, Draksharama and Simhachalam in Andhra showed similar development
Jain centres emerged in Gujarat and Raj.