Characteristics of Early Mediaeval India

CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY
MEDIAEVAL INDIA
-Atul Kumar
A chain of important social changes can be seen in

the move to early medieval time period. These
changes are finest approached through the
composition, character and scope in the caste
system, and the particular status of women within
it. Everybody knows, Jati is usually the basic unit in
the caste system. Individuals are grouped in
endogamous Jatis, i. e. members of one Jati marry
within rather than outside their Jati. Usually a
number of Jatis in an area of which are similar to
every single other in status in addition to
occupation make-up a Jati cluster; that Jatis plus
Jati clusters form component of one of the
particular four Varnas - Brahmins, Kshatriyas,
Vaishyas, and Shudras. At the lowest of this varna
hierarchy,, are the particular Untouchables, who
are located outside and in a great inferior regards
to the particular fourfold Varna order, despite the
fact that they are also called as 'impure Shudras'.
The changes in economy during the early
mediaeval period also resulted in the emergence
of some new caste and decline of some old caste,
for example, the constant grant of lands made by
princes to priests and officials led to the growth of
the scribe and got higher status and similarly
decline of trade and commerce during this period
led to the decline in the status of Vaishyas. The
process of proliferation of castes was another
marked feature of the society the period.
The foundation of various kingdoms and fiefdoms
led to the development of localized culture, making
India a diverse geographical area. The Hunas and
other foreign elements were absorbed into the
Indian society and cleared the ground for the rise
of larger defined units such as Rajputas. Many new
communities emerged, for instance Rajputs were
also recognised as Kshatriyas. Also a number of
immigrants from outside the subcontinent differed
in customs, clothing and language, such as the
Hunas, the Gurjaras, etc. were settling down on the
land of India. The Gurjaras, the ancestors of the
present Gujar community, seem to have been
particularly widespread in western and
northwestern India. In some regions a gradual
transformation of the original structure of Gurjara
society was well under way during our period as at
the end of it we see not only the emergence of a
small section of them as rulers (the Gurjara-Pratiharas)
but also the rest as peasantry. The recognition of
the Hunas as one of the traditional thirty-six
Kshatriya clans took a longer time. There were
probably other peoples too. For instance, the
Kalachuris who figure as an important political
entity and had even founded an era called
Kalachuri-Chedi are supposed tohave been such
immigrants, and the term Kalachuri is interpreted as
a derivative of the Turkish title kulchur.
The Brahmins stood at the top of the social
hierarchy. However, Brahmins had numerous
subsections now divided on the basis of many
criteria such as knowledge of Vedas etc. Brahmins
had freedom from death-sentence, exemption form
taxes, precedence on the road, lesser punishment
for certain offences in comparison with other
castes. Getting birth in a Brahamin family was a
privilege. Vaishyas in the early medieval India were
almost degraded to the Shudra community. In fact,
Alberuni also did not find any difference between
the Vaishyas and Shudra. Shudras were most
numerous section in the society. Some of the
Shudras were considered as a mixed caste born of
pratiloma marriages. Somewhat there were 8
shudras caste called Ashtashudras- Vyadha, Bhada,
Kola, Koncha, Haddi, Doma, Jala, Bagatita,
Vyalagrachi and Chandala. There was another
shudra caste other than these 8 which was lowest
among them, this shudra caste was called Antyajas,
these were beyond and below the four orders and
four varnas of the Indian society.
As with the other social groups, the status of
women did not remain unchanged during the
transition to the early medieval period. The changes
that are noticed mainly pertain to the womenfolk of
the upper classes of society; of course these
changes did not occur uniformly everywhere. The
women’s position is far degraded from that in early
periods. The husband and other male relations, to
begin with must so arrange things that the wife
never becomes independent. The wife must also
be guarded not only against physical but also
against mental unchastity for the sake of her
offspring. wife’s right to maintenance in case of
her supersession , they provide for her residence
in her husband’s house as well as her maintenance
even in the event of her committing adultery.
When the wife is guilty of slight adultery, she must
be maintained, though deprived of conjugal
rights, till her performance of a penance.
From the 6th century onwards, the linguistic
variation became very fast because of lack of inter-
regional communication and mobility. In the tribal
areas, the Brahmanas imposed various forms of
Sanskrit on the existing Aryan and Pre-Aryan
dialects. The consequential interaction gave rise to
regional languages. The migrating Brahmanas also
enriched the regional languages. This resulted in
the development of regional scripts and regional
grammar.
In the field of religion, the Puranic temple-based
Brahmanical sects, continued to be in the
ascendant. Of these the Vaishnava and Shaiva sects
were the most important. Taking the evidence of
royal patronage as an indicator, the various Shaiva
sects appear to have been moving ahead of the
Vaishnava ones during period. A major new
development of great importance was Bhakti
movement in the Tamil south. Tantrism was well on
way to becoming a salient feature of religious life
all over the subcontinent. In Tantrism the cult of
female divinities, who were in general known as
Tara in Buddhism and Shakti or Devi in
Brahmanism, was combined with a set of esoteric
beliefs and magical practices.The Mahayajnas and
danas (donations) were gradually replaced by a
system known as Puja.
Conclusion
At the end we can say that in the period of Early
Mediaeval India many characteristics emerged
which were quit different from earlier periods and
many changes in society led to these features or
characteristics. These changes were majorly the
result of certain economic developments, religious
elements, formation of new local or small kingdoms
and many other things. These characteristics of
Early Medieval India significantly played an
important role in transformation of society into
today’s society.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:-
Jha, D.N. Ancient Indian in Historical Outline

(1998 edu.)
Kosambi, D.D. Culture and Civilization of Ancient India
in Historical Outline.
Sharma, R.S. Perspective in Social and Economic
History of Early India.
Thapar, Romila History of early India.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY

A chain of important social changes can be seen in

Jha, D.N. Ancient Indian in Historical Outline

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