Describe the economic and social condition of north India during the medieval period.
Answers
Answer:Overview of the Society:
Many important changes happened in Indian society in the post Gupta period. The land grants facilitated feudal development in India from the fifth century AD onwards. The peasants stayed in the land granted to the feudal lords. The villages transferred to these were termed as Sthana-Jana-Sahita and Janata Samriddha. This contributed to the decline of trade and commerce in the post Gupta period for causing a closed economy.
The growth of the feudal society weakened the position of the king and made him more dependent on the feudal chiefs. The domination of the feudal chiefs became dominant which resulted into the weakening of the village self-government.
The four Varnas existed in the society as mentioned in the writing of Hiuen Tsang. There were many sub castes which also prevailed at that time. The position of women seems to have deteriorated during this period. Sati and dowry were common.
Girls were married between the ages of six and eight years. In general women were distrusted. They were to be kept in seclusion. Generally, the lives of women were controlled by their male relatives like son, father, and brother.
Economy
During the post Harsha period the literary and inscriptional evidences show the advanced state of agriculture, trade and economy. The early Arab writers also refer to the fertility of the soil and the rich cultivation. Literature like Abhidhanaratnamala mentions that the soil was classified variously as fertile, barren, desert, excellent etc. It is also mentioned that different kinds of fields were selected for different classes of crops.
In the field of industry the oldest one is that of textile. The profession of weavers, dyers, tailors etc. is mentioned by the contemporary literature. Working in metal was also very popular during that period. Some centres of metal industry were famous. Saurastra (Gujarat) was famous for its bell metal industry while Vanga (Bengal) was known for its tin industry.
The trade with South East Asia during post Gupta age registered a significant increase. The Arab, Chinese and Indian sources mention the flow of trade between east and west via India. India exported sandal wood, pearls, camphor, cotton, metals, precious and semi precious stones. The imported items consisted majorly of horses. The horses were imported from Central and Western Asia. The Shrenis or guilds were important in post Gupta age.
Explanation:
Describe the economic and social condition of north India during the medieval period.
- There were three classes in society: upper, middle, and lower. The social-religious life of the populace was impacted by the Bhakti and Sufi movements. Bhajans, prayers, and the worship of one God gained popularity.
- The majority of people in mediaeval civilization were Christians, it was agrarian, and it was feudal. Although the Church had a big influence on society's development, subsistence farming predominated in the early 14th century. In addition, the villages also had a feudal social structure.
- Social ills abound in mediaeval society. Early marriage, the slave trade, the satee system, and other practises came to mind. People had exceedingly difficult lives during this time. Girls were forbidden from showing even their faces to strangers.
- Between 800 and 1200 AD, upper-class women lived in seclusion and were typically hidden from the public eye. However, there was no female veiling or purdah regime. The majority of Indian princes held court with their women exposed for all the males in attendance, including foreigners.
- Wars, unrest, and dispersed power structures are characteristics of the mediaeval ages. It is unknown how many castles were constructed throughout the Middle Ages, although there are undoubtedly more than 10,000 and perhaps even 100,000. For instance, alone in Germany were almost 25,000 mediaeval castles built.
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