The land grants facilitated feudal development in india from the fifth century ad onwards. The mehrauli iron pillar of gupta period is the best example of metal workmanships. The mughal empire in india springfield public schools. Nowhere is this landmark more salient than on the great plains of north america. These land grants paved the way for feudal development in india. The two hundred years of gupta rule may be said to mark the climax of hindu imperial tradition. He was an ancient indian surgeon who was possibly born in 7th century bc and is the author ofthe book sushruta samhita, in. The gupta empire was an ancient indian empire existing from the midtolate 3rd century ce to 543 ce. The position of the peasants was also undermined from the gupta period onwards on account of the imposition of forced labourvisthi and several new levies and taxes. In these grants there are references to land being purchased by individuals, either for. Land gifts to officials also became prominent during the gupta and the post gupta period. The golden age versus the age of feudalism the marxist historians have thus derided the periods achievements in art, literature, architecture and metallurgy as benefitting only the upper caste elite and thus not worthy of the sobriquet of a golden age. In addition, whenever the royal army passed through the countryside, the local people had to feed it.
The gupta period saw changes in agrarian structure due to system of land grants. The origins of feudalism were traced to the pregupta period, particularly to growth of the practice of land grants with administrative rights, corroding the authority of the state. Land grants continued to be made to priests for special services rendered to state. Describe the expansion of the gupta empire under samudragupta with the help of the allahabad pillar inscription. The land they invaded had been through a long period of turmoil. It shows how this led to the emergence of a class of landlords, endowed with fiscal and administrative rights superimposed upon a class of peasantry which was deprived of communal agrarian rights.
Samudragupta conquered a number of forest kingdoms in the valleys of the ganges, narmada and the mahanadi. The minor officers in the district were saulkaika the superintendent of tolls and customs, agraharika in charge of religious establishments, dhruvardharanika the superintendent of the collection of. The ship building industry was also well developed in gupta period that facilitated trade and communication activities. Ancient indian history gupta period tutorialspoint. Land grants since the gupta period the earliest land grants of this type in bengal were issued by the guptas. Grants of land are also awarded to individuals and companies as incentives to develop unused land in relatively unpopulated countries. The state gathered abundant revenues in the form of custom duties at the numerous ports on the western coast like broach sopara, cambay and a multitude.
Early literature of the buddhists provides a picture of a settled agricultural economy and an emerging commerce in urban centres. The gold coins which were so abundant during the periods of the kushanas. Short essay on the debate on feudalism in ancient india. Most of these are in fact the religious grants made by history manual the gupta rulers to. Indian village became nearly selfcontained owing mainly to the decline. History life in gupta period the gupta period is considered to the most brilliant period or the golden age of the hindus. A land grant is a gift of real estate land or its use privileges made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Land grants were also given to non brahmin religious establishments such as buddhists and jain temples. But indian feudalism did not originate from the establishment of a military class over the peasantry and as such it was not a replica of the western phenomenon. The gupta empire was an ancient indian empire centered in the kingdom of magadh, existing from the midtolate 3rd century ce to 590 ce. From the decline of the guptas until the rise of harsha, in the beginning of seventh century there flourished four major kingdoms in. Early indian feudal formation dn jha university of delhi.
The compilation based on ncert texts will also help you learn the cultural history of india. Started in the deccan by the satavahanas, the practice became a regular affair in. Society, culture and religion page 5 uniti nature of state the medieval period of indian history comprises a long period, spanning from 6th century i. This was to ensure that the brahmans received their subsistence. The sources of the gupta period suggest that certain important changes were taking place in the agrarian society. No inquiries will be considered without submission of.
The gupta script was descended from brahmi and gave rise to the nagari, sarada and siddha. Economy in gupta period india had developed an advanced system of. Gupta period economy india had developed an advanced system of agriculture, industry, and trade long before the rise of the imperial guptas. The seals, gold, and silver coins of this period also reflect the advance stage of the metal industry. Indian feudalism is a book by indian professor ram sharan sharma. Chapteri introduction the early medieval period of. This book analyses the practice of land grants, which became considerable in the gupta period and widespread in the postgupta period. The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by the king sri gupta. These guilds were given concessions in the taxes that were liable to be paid to the government. The economic stability and prosperity facilitates allround cultural progress made during this period. The significance of the policy of matrimonial alliances for the expansion and consolidation of the gupta empire. Gupta empire economy political organisation religion. However, the trade and commerce activities of the gupta empire grew steadily.
Literary sources relevant for the agrarian condition of the postgupta period. The guptas confessed on india the long desired unity and the feeling of. This period is considered as the golden age of india by some historians. In this report, the first of two reports, we agreed to 1 define the concept of community land grants and 2 identify the types of community land grants in new mexico that meet the definition. The later guptas succeeded the imperial guptas as the. Together with fiscal rights, the beneficiaries were. The pattern of land settlement in this period was however very different from different from that of the maurayns. Ancient indian history gupta period north india came under the rule of several foreign people, such as the yavanas, kushans, sakas, parthians, etc. The annexation of the territory of the satraps brought areas of exceptional wealth and fertility into the ordit of the empire. It is believed by some historians that because of the practice of land grants, the.
Many important changes happened in indian society in the post gupta period. Probably the king collected taxes varying from onefourth to onesixth of the produce. The dhanaidaha copperplate inscription of kumaragupta i ad 43233records a grant of land to a chandogya brahmana. Gupta empire economy during the gupta period agriculture formed a significant part of the empires economy. The gupta kings continued the land acquisition started by the mauryans. The reference material for this post is ncert history text for class 6 our past 1.
Life in gupta period green valley educational institute. It shows how this led to the emergence of a class of landlords, endowed with fiscal and administrative rights superimpos. The morrill act of 1862 is a landmark in the history of education and democracy. This board took care of the matters relating to grants of land and other such matters. Some of the chief achievements of the gupta period are the following. Standard 6 only the main points from each chapter are compiled below. Four more guptaperiod copperplate grants from bengal. Gupta empire indian history click here for all indian polity study material pdf download click here for all subject study materials pdf download. In gupta period, a samanta was a neighbouring subsidiary ruler who was a friendly tributary of the gupta overlords. In the south, crown lands were rented out to tenantsatwill. The decentralization was also effected via various land grants, carrying varied immunities and concessions, to persons and institutions. The landgrant inscriptions often mention dutakas who were associated with the task. Organizations outside of the united states must also complete and submit the grantee affidavit form. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 543 ce, it covered much of the indian subcontinent.
Landmeasurement and landrevenue system in bengal under the senas, ed. Agriculture remained the economic basis of society during the gupta period. The book analyses the practice of land grants, which became considerable in the gupta period and widespread in the postgupta period. Essay on the results of landgrants in india during gupta and post. The later gupta dynasty ruled the magadha region in eastern india between 6th and 7th centuries. The gupta rulers made it a point to increase agricultural production since land revenue was the primary source of income. Village organisations became the centre of power after the gupta period when central authority was comparatively weak and emerged as nuclear areas of corporate institutions stein 1969. The royal writs of land grants during the postgupta period were known as sasanapatra. To be considered for a gupta family foundation formerly apex foundation grant, we must receive a completed grant application form.
The socioeconomic conditions of the gupta period of 1200 c. The merchant and other traders were organized into guilds. Decline of commerce is demonstrated by tire paucity of coins in the postgupta period. Sample material upsc ias mains history optional study. Gupta period marks the advent of structural temple architecture. For almost 300 years, the muslims were able to advance only as far as the indus river valley. During the gupta period land taxes increased in number, and those on trade and commerce decreased. Economy, social life and temple architecture in post gupta. The condition of common man in the gupta period indian. In north india the land grants empowered the recipients of grants to punish the criminals. Feudalism agrarian structure in the postgupta period. From the point of view of literature, religion, art, architecture, commerce and colonial development, this period is undoubtedly the most important in indian history. Our advice is to first go through the respective ncert text. Paper 11 politicosocial and administrative history of ancient india.
The postgupta period is regarded as an age of feudalism in indian history. Migration and demographic changes brought about alterations in the distribution pattern of the village land. The practice of making such land grants was started in the satavahana period and became fairly widespread in central india under the vakatakas. This article on ancient india covers gupta and postgupta rulers. Vedic society in early period had no such serving class like the shudras.
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