CSA215 | Some Aspects of the History of Early Medieval South India (700-1200 CE)

This is a stand alone course in History. Students of the B.A. LL. B. (hons) programme are taught 2 core courses in History while students of the 3 years LL.B. and the BA honours programme too study history this period will not be taught in detail to them. Thus this course will be in addition to them, building in some ways on the core courses but looking more deeply into the early medieval period in the history of South India.

Students in India do not study in detail about the history of the period 600 to 1200 CE. They usually are introduced to dynasties and rulers of South India, whose names are like tongue twisters to them and this entire 600 years is crammed into one chapter at the most. Consequently most, if not all, grow up without an understanding of a crucial period in the history of India, one in which some major changes and developments took place. For eg., I don’t know how many would be aware of the widespread prevalence of Jainism and Buddhism till the 16th or 17th Century in South India, or the fact that people and rulers were converted to Saivism and Vaisnavism during this period. Similarly, many may not be aware of the existence of Arabs in South India, after their conversion to Islam, as traders and even administrators in some of the South Indian kingdoms. This was the era when huge temples were built and land grants given to brahmans to migrate to the South to legitimise the authority of the newly
founded dynasties and expand agrarian operations. This was also the era when in Tamilakam local bodies were established to administer villages, towns and cities with detailed rules for who could participate in the electoral process and for election of representatives.

Through this course I wish to highlight some of these lesser known aspects about the history of South India. Since there are too many topics to be discussed and too little time I will not be discussing all the theories regarding the nature of the state in this period, I plan to only take up the theory of feudalism. Similarly I will not be exploring the nature of society in terms of the introduction of the varna social order but will discuss the coming of the brahmans through a study of a few of the landgrants, establishing agraharas. With regard to religion I will not be going deep into the teachings of each of the religions prevalent but rather focus on the existence of different religions and emergence of the Alvar, Nayanar and Lingayat movements and how they were responses to the changing nature of the economy and polity during this period.

For understanding some aspects of the history of this period the students will be reading the translations of the inscriptions – land grants made to brahmans, temples, devadasis, the herostones and also for understanding the local administration. I hope to also introduce students to the translated texts composed in Kannada during this period by Jaina scholars extolling the virtues of dying in cattle raids and battle fields contributing to the development of a hero cult along side the herostones or viragals or virakals.