IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From 8th to 15th Century - Nature of Regional Politics

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From 8th to 15th Century

Nature of Regional Politics

Structure

8.0 Objectives
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Major Political Developments
8.2.1 Northern and Eastern lndia
8.2.2 Watcrn and Cehtral lndia
8.2.3 The Deccan
8.2.4 Southan India
8.3 Recobstructions of Indian Polity between Eighth and Thirteenth Centuries
8.3.1 Feudal Polity
8.3.2 Scgncntary State
8.3.3 Integrative Polity
8.4 Let Us Sum Up
8.5 Key Words
8.6 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

8.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this, Unit you should be able to explain the :

contents of polity,
major political developments in different regions of the Indian sub-continent such as Northern and Eastern India, Western and Central India, the Deccan and Southern India,
links between the developments in Western and Central Asia on the one hand and those of the Indian sub-continent on the other, and
principal reconstructions of Indian polity between eighth and thirteenth cenluries.

8.1 INTRODUCTION

This Unit seeks to define the essential components of Indian polity through major
I political developments. The sub-continent has been divided into various regions for
the purpose. There has also been an effort to mark the impact of certain
developments across the north-western borders (in West and Central Asia) onethe
Indian political scene. Finally, the major thrust of the 'unit is on understanding the
I nature of regional politics. i.e. to deal with the questi~n of characterizing formls of
polity in India.
i The study of polity calls for analysis of the nature, organisation an4 distribution of
power. Political set-ups differed from region to region due to different economic an&
geographical potentialities of the regions. In India, the period between eighth and
thirteenth centuries was very significant not only from the point of view of economic
formations (see Block-1) but also from the point of view of political processes.
Indeed, the two are interlinked. The nature of polity during the centuries under
'discussion may be better understood in the context of.major political developments
in different regions of the Indian sub-continent.