Medieval India: Towns, Traders and Craftspersons
Towns of Medieval India
There were administrative centres, temple towns, as well as centres of commercial activities
and craft production during medieval periods.
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.
● 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.
Towns of Medieval India
There were administrative centres, temple towns, as well as centres of commercial activities
and craft production during medieval periods.
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.
● 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.
