IGNOU HISTORY NOTES : India History From 8th to Mid 15th Century - Agrarian Relations:Deccan and South India

IGNOU HISTORY Study Notes for IAS, UPSC Exams

History India From 8th to Mid 15th Century

Agrarian Relations:Deccan and South India

Structure

19.1 Objectives
19.2 Introduction
19.3 Medieval Deccan Villnge: Features
19.4 Land Ownership
19.5 Categories of Land Rights
19.5.1 Mirml Right
19.5.2 Inurn Lands
19.5.3 State Land (Crown Land)
19.5.4 Waste Lands or Lands of Extinct Families
19.6 Village Community
19.6.1 Theories
19.6.2 Peasants
19.6.3 Cot Sabha or Malls
19.7 Watan System
19.7.1 Balutedm
19.7.2 Feudalism
19.8 South India: Agrarian Structure
19.9 Nature of Land Rights
19.10 Let Us Sum Up
19.1 1 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises

19.1 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit, you will be able to learn about:

the characteristic features of the medieval Deccan village;
the debate regarding ownership of land in the Deccan;
the categories of land rights which existed there;
the nature of village community;
the relationship between the different sections constituting agrarian society;
the agrarian structure of South India, and
the nature of land rights in South India.

19.2 INTRODUCTION

In this Unit, we will discuss the nature of agrarian 8tructure in medieval Deccan and
South India and the various Land rights which existed there. First, we will discuss
the features of the agrarian structure in medieval Deccan.
A study of the agrarian structure and land rights means an examination of the right
to use and dispose off one's landed property which bestowed on the landholder
economic benefits and administrative and ju!icial powers. Land rights controlled the
life of lgricultural societies or the village communities. They regulated the
relations of landholders with other members of the village community, persons
claiming superior rights over land, the king and his tax collecting oficials, etc. The
various categories of land rights, whether transferable or hereditary, arose due to
economic benefits from land which was the prime source of income for the majority
of the people in those days.