State the reasons behind the establishment of different towns in India during medieval period. Name the different types of towns during medieval period and why were administrative towns important?
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A medieval town may be a Temple town, Administrative centre, Commercial town or Port town. Many towns had combined characteristics of all the above types of towns. For example, many towns were administrative centres, commercial and craft production centres as well as temple towns – all at the same time.
Answer:
Major Towns: Surat, Hampi and Masulipattanam
Explanation:
Administrative Centres and Towns
The best example is Thanjavur.
During the reign of Chola Dynasty (King Rajaraja Chola), its capital was Thanjavur.
Architect Kunjaramallan Rajaraja Perunthachchan built Rajarajeshwara Temple.
Besides the temple, there were palaces with mandapas or pavilions. where kings hold court here and issue order to subordinates.
The Saliya weavers of Thanjavur and the nearby town of Uraiyur were busy producing cloth for flags to be used in the temple festival, fine cottons for the king and nobility and coarse cotton for the masses.
Some distance away at Svamimalai, the sthapatis or sculptors were making exquisite bronze idols and tall, ornamental bell metal lamps.
Temple Towns and Pilgrimage Centres
Thanjavur is also an example of a temple town. Temple towns represent a very important pattern of urbanisation, the process by which cities develop.
Towns emerged around temples such as those of Bhillasvamin (Bhilsa or Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh), and Somnath in Gujarat. Other important temple towns included Kanchipuram and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.
Pilgrimage centres also slowly developed into townships. Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) and Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu) are examples of two such towns.
Small towns
From the 8th century onwards the subcontinent was dotted with several small towns. These probably emerged from large villages. They usually had a mandapika (or mandi of later times) to which nearby villagers brought their produce to sell. They also had market streets called hatta (haat of later times) lined with shops.
Usually a samanta or, in later times, a zamindar built a fortified palace in or near these towns. They levied taxes on traders, artisans and articles of trade and sometimes “donated” the “right” to collect these taxes to local temples .
Traders
There were many kind of traders including Banjaras. (2016 Prelims Question)
Since traders had to pass through many kingdoms and forests, they usually travelled in caravans and formed guilds[associations for certain tasks]to protect their interests. Manigramam and Nanadesi were two such guilds.These guilds traded extensively both within the peninsula and with Southeast Asia and China.
The towns on the west coast were home to Arab, Persian, Chinese, Jewish and Syrian Christian traders.
At the same time Kabul [Afghanistan]became politically and commercially important from the 16th century onwards. Trade in horses was primarily carried here. Slaves were also brought here for sale.
Craftpersons
The craftspersons of Bidar were so famed for their inlay work in copper and silver that it came to
be called Bidri.
The Panchalas or Vishwakarma community, consisting of goldsmiths, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters, were essential to the building of temples.
They also played an important role in the construction of palaces, big buildings, tanks and reservoirs.
Similarly, weavers such as the Saliyar or Kaikkolars emerged as prosperous communities, making donations to temples.
Some aspects of cloth making like cotton cleaning, spinning and dyeing became specialised and independent crafts.