India and Asia in the

middle age SOCIAL SYSTEM

Advent of Aryans in India on the Middle Age

u In the early Middle Ages, Aryan kings appeared in India

u Personal rights were established on the land. Personal rights to land are defined here as
the individual's own ownership of the land or property.
u Division of labor in production was introduced. The division of labor is the division of
work among themselves.
u Some people became very powerful due to the introduction of personal rights and
division of labor in the land . Because most of the land was in their hands.This led to the
emergence of feudalism in Aryan society
u Class divisions appeared among the Aryans
 Classes in Indian society

u Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras these four classes were called Varnashrama Dharma
u the Brahmin class announced themselves as the best class.They made laws and customs.they kept religion in their hands
u The Kshatriya class remained under them. They were responsible for defending the state and the laws
made by the Brahmins.
u The Vaishya class remained under these two. Trade, industry and production remained in their hands.
u Shudra class was at the bottom. The people of this defeated tribe began to endure various forms of
physical labor and humiliation.
u That system was promoted as a God-given religion.
u During this time the Brahmins created various spiritual doctrines in the mind of the people. For example:
reincarnationism, karmaphalabad etc.
u Then gradually Muslim rulers appeared in Indian society.
Medieval feudalism

u Feudalism is basically a land-centered system of government. Excessive dependence on land or

agrarian economy was one of the features of this social system.
u After the establishment of private rights in the land, some people became very
powerful. Most of the land fell into their hands.
u They formed small armies to defend their property. These are the little kings. After the defeat
of these kings in battle, another great king came.
u After wining the battle, he first took all the property of the defeated king and evicted the king.
u But when his kingdom became so large that it was no longer possible for him to take care of it,
Then he would collect rent from the defeated king for years and leave.
u Feudalism developed when land was the only source of wealth and power.
Medieval land slavery

u The virtuous chapter of the Middle Ages is the land slavery system.
u Land slaves did not have rights to their own land. They were called bhumidas because they
worked on other people's land to support themselves and their families. They did not have
their own land.
u The landlord could evict him from the land whenever he wished.
u He had to work on the land of the landlord at least three or four days a week without pay
u even the independent farmers were not immune from these oppressions.
u If for any reason the crop was ruined, the farmer was forced to borrow from the
landlord and once he borrowed then he had no Marcy, The landlord would
gradually turn him into a land slave.
Expansion of cottage industry

u At this time there were some people in every village whose main occupation was to
make the things that the farmers needed. For example: weavers made cloth, mechanic
made plows and houses.
u The cottage industry has improved with the help of women.
u They used to make shitolpati,nakshikantha, cane work, bamboo work, clay dolls, pottery
etc.
u Gradually the demand for cottage industries has increased and cottage industries have
gained a lot of influence.
 Women's and men's clothing in medieval
India

Woman Man

u In the Middle Ages, women in India wore sari u In the Middle Ages, men wore dhoti
u women wore sari hanging down to the wrists. u Men in the upper echelons of society wore dhoti a little
below the knee
u The girls of the completed house in the
village wear Kajal's tip, bracelet in hand, u The rich kept the front part of the dhoti a little
young beta flower pendant in the ear etc. wrinkled. Because their dhoti would have been bigger
u During the Muslim rule, women's clothing u Ordinary people used to wear dhoti of very
underwent major changes. small size
u Men's clothing has also undergone major
changes during the Muslim rule.
 Thank you

Name: Muttakina Kamal

Course: World history and civilization (Anth-205)
Roll: 1910549107