State and Society in Medieval India

State and Society in Medieval India

Introduction

We begin this chapter by defining the term ‘medieval’. The periodization of history into ‘ancient/classical’, medieval’ and ‘modern’ is conventionally used with reference to European history. In the context of Indian history, the use of these terms is more problematic. Therefore, historians have debated their relevance in defining different periods of Indian history. For instance, the historian Burton Stein, uses the term ‘classical’ to describe the period up to the Gupta empire, and dates the ‘medieval’ period from the 7th century A.D.(CE) till the beginning of Mughal rule in the 16th century. The Mughal era, from the 16th to 18th century is referred to as the early modern peroid.

The political scenario in all parts of India underwent momentous, definitive changes which transformed the social and economic fabric and development of the country. Historians have now moved away from thinking of history as a linear narrative of kings and dynasties, and the events – mainly wars and military campaigns – which happened during their rule. History is now thought of inter-disciplinary terms to comprise social and economic change. Nevertheless, such change does not happen autonomously without any reference to changes in the political structure. This is especially true for the period covered in this chapter.

Major Political Changes

·               The expansion of the Chola empire from the time of Rajaraja which eclipsed the Pandyan and Pallava kingdoms, extending north till Orissa.

·               From the twelfth century, the beginning of several centuries of Muslim rule in Delhi, extending throughout north India and the spread of Islam to different parts of the country.

·               By the end of the 13th century the eclipse of the great empire of the Cholas and the consequent rise of many Religious kingdoms in south India. This ultimately culminated in the rise of the Vijayanagar empire which exercised authority over all of south India and came to be considered the bastion of Religious rule in the south.

·               The consolidation of Muslim rule under the Mughals in the north, beginning in 1526 A.D. (C.E.) with the defeat of the Ibrahim Lodi by Babur. At its height, the Mughal empire stretched from Kabul to Gujarat to Bengal, from Kashmir to south India.

·               The coming of the Europeans, beginning with the Portuguese who arrived on the west coast of India in 1498.