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IA Assignment

Uploaded by

devanshibadgaiyan106
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Devanshi

2023/328
Group theme - Chattopadhyaya, BD. The making of early medieval India. Ch 6 ‘Trade and Urban
Centres in Early Medieval North India’
Sub-theme - Overview and structure of four important urban centres

The early medieval period is associated with the crystallisation of ‘Indian Feudalism’, characterized
by the practice of land grants. Earlier scholars like RS Sharma point out that the economic implication
of this development is represented through ruralization and the rise of a self-sufficient economy.
Conversely, the paucity of coinage among other evidence is used to deduce that trade and urban
centres fell into peril (particularly in Northern India). BD Chattopadhyaya critiques this hypothesis of
‘Urban Decay’ by suggesting that the setback suffered by trade and urban centres, and the rise of
closed village communities cannot be associated with a complete shift from ‘production for exchange’
to ‘production for use’.
Instead, using inscriptional evidence he examines the nature and extent of trade and urbanism that
survived within specific geographic areas. These geographic areas include the Indo-Gangetic divide,
the upper Ganga basin, and the periphery of the Malwa Plateau. The main emphasis here is to provide
a comprehensive overview of the structure and characteristics of four urban centres within these
geographic regions, namely Pirthudaka, Tattanandapura, Siyadoni, and Gopagiri.

Located in the Indo-Gangetic divide, Pirthudaka is identified with present-day Pehoa in Karnal,
Haryana. The Gurjara-Pratihara inscriptions of the 9th century AD refer to a fair in which different
animals, especially horses were bought and sold. The details about this trade reveal many significant
features of trade and urbanism on this site. The mention of a foreman among the horse dealers
suggests they were organised into a guild. These horse dealers were not local and belonged to nine
different localities; some were likely Brahmanas. This points to the presence of a group of
North-western ‘Indians’ who acted as intermediary horse dealers over whom the Brahmanical
restrictions had less control. Pirthudaka can be seen as the focal point in this network of horse dealers.
Although the records don’t label it as an urban centre, it had the features of a nigama, a market centre
occupying an intermediary position between a village and well developed urban centre. The use of the
term adhisthana also attests to this claim as in the Post-Gupta terminology the term is generally
associated with urban centres.

Evidence of a more fully developed urban centre comes from Gujara-Pratihara records between 867
AD to 904 AD of Tattanandapura on the Western Bank of Ganga, present-day Ahar. The urban
character of the site becomes evident from the use of pattana and the suffix pura, which distinguish it
from grama, palli, or agrahara. The inscriptions highlight several urban features of this site. Mention
of different types of roads such as kurathya (small or narrow roads, lanes), brhadrathya (big roads),
and hattamarga (roads leading to the market area) imply functional differences unique to the urban
context. The description of the eastern market area suggests that it was the town's focal point, dotted
with shops (avaris) and buildings (grhas). The six temples mentioned were a distinct part of the urban
setup.

These urban characteristics of Tattanandapura also become evident in Siyodoni near Lalitpur, Jhansi
through the records between 907 AD and 968 AD. It was also a pattana intersected by a variety of
roads. The records suggest that residential sites and markets had no clear distinction just as in Ahar.
The residential areas included aparasarka (house with porch or vestibule), avasanika (dwellings) and
grhabhitti (a house site), which were owned by different communities. Five market centres or hatta
figures in the records. Vithis or shops owned by merchants and manufacturers of different categories
made up the nucleus of these hattas. Sometimes as in the case of Kallapalanamsatkahatta, the entire
hatta appears to have been owned by specialised merchants of Kallapalas. Religious shrines or
residences of Brahmana were often part of the hatta complex. The number of hattas and the presence
of custom houses suggest that Siyadoni was a commercial centre. The feudatory rulers along with
panchkula formed the administrative body of the township. There are, besides, references to officials
such as karatiikas and kauptikas. On these accounts, Siyadoni was also an important political centre of
the Gutjara-Pratihära empire. The

In the same region, two inscriptions dated 875 AD and 876 AD indicate the presence of a fort town at
Gopagiri (Gwalior). The presence of the commander of boundaries, kottapala, and baladhikrta
(commander in chief) points to the military nature of this town.

Overall the analysis of these urban centres helps us gain some understanding of the nature of urbanism
that survived in the so-called ruralized economy of the early medieval period. Pirthudaka can be seen
as a partially developed incipient commercial centre but the layout and features of Tattanandapura and
Siyodoni show signs of a well-developed commercial center. The various terms used for roads,
markets, and towns indicate the complex and meticulous ways in which urban life was organized. The
administrative and military functions of towns like Siyodoni and Gopagiri bring out the political
significance of these centres. Thus the urban decay argument fails to capture these complex and varied
developments in the urban sphere and therefore remains insufficient.

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