IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From 8th to 15th Century - South India

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From 8th to 15th Century

South India

Structure

12.0 Objectives
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Region
12.3 Emergence of Political Powers
12.4 Perspectives on the South lndian Polity
12.5 Sub-regional Polities
12.6 The Agrarian Order and Polity
12.6.1 The Nadu
12.6.2 The Bmhradqs
12.6.3 Valanadu
126.4 The Temple
126.5 The Nagman : The Market Centre
12.7 Taxation .
12.8 Bureaucracy
12.9 Military Organisation
12.10 Structures of Control
12.1 1 ideological Bases of South lndian Polity
12.12 Let Us Sum Up
12.13 Key Words
12.14 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

12.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit you should be able to:

determine the parameters of South lndia in terms of regional polity.
sketch the broad spectrum of political powers.
identify important ways of studying polity of the concerned region.
delineate major foci of polity and their socio-economic bases.
know about major components df the political structure such as taxation.
bureaucray and military control, and
outline the ideological bases of South lndian polity between the eighth-thirteenth centuries.

12.1 INTRODUCTION

This is the last Unit concerning regional variations of early medieval polity. It deals
with South lndia, which broadly covers the portion of the peninsula lying south of
130 Northern Latitude. It begins with the emergence of the Pallavas in the sixth
century of the Christian era and ends with the establishment of the Tamil macroregion as a regional state with distinctive politico-cultural features under the Cholas
(ninth-thirteenth centuries). After analysing the major lines of enquiry the Un~t seeks
to demarcate'various tiers of administration. These tiers have been identified with a
distinct focus on their social and economic bases. The nature of resource
mobilisation and apparatus to regulate it have also been sketched. Finally. the
ideological support of the South lndian polity has been suggested.