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Agrarian Relations and Feudal Land Distribution in Medieval Bhagalpur

By Y. P. ROY

Vol. 18September 2012pp. 79–99English

Summary

The article examines agrarian relations and feudalism in medieval Bhagalpur (Anga), focusing on land distribution, zamindari systems, and historical debates. It critiques the self-sufficient village model prevalent in Indian economic history, citing scholars like D.D. Kosambi, R.S. Sharma, and others. The study highlights the role of non-Brahmin landowners, tribal oligarchs, and feudal lords like Devarakshita and Sahura, emphasizing the shift from Palas' decline to feudal fragmentation. It details the evolution of zamindari rights, including terms like *choudhary*, *qanungo*, and *ghatwali*, and their exploitation mechanisms. The analysis also explores peasant revolts against zamindars, Mughal revenue policies, and colonial-era intermediaries. The text underscores Bhagalpur's historical significance as a fertile, commercially vibrant region and critiques the oversimplified view of medieval agrarian structures, advocating for empirical research on feudal dynamics and land tenure systems.

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Conclusion

This study examines the evolution of agrarian relations and zamindari systems in medieval Bhagalpur, highlighting the shift from self-sufficient village economies to feudal exploitation. It traces the emergence of feudal lords, their land rights, and the subjugation of secondary zamindars and peasants, particularly through Mughal and colonial-era land tenure systems. The analysis underscores how the consolidation of zamindari power led to agrarian unrest, including peasant revolts and resistance against exploitative revenue practices. The persistence of terms like *malik*, *zamindar*, and *raiyyat* reflects the enduring legacy of these historical land relations, shaping socio-economic structures in Bhagalpur and beyond. The study calls for further empirical research to refine historical classifications and deepen understanding of agrarian dynamics in medieval India.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “We propose to outline in detail all the documentary evidences and circumstances under which distribution of landed property was made between the land holders and sharers (who till the Zamindars’ lands with their own plough) with special reference to Bhagalpur, the land of Anga.”
  • “The principal achievement of a zamindar lay in a great systematization of rent collection exploitation and an immense accumulation of wealth which resulted in agrarian exploitation.”
  • “The Zamindari is a system in which the major source of production was agriculture, and a substantial share of surplus produce was appropriated by a class which holds military power and social prestige.”

Works cited in this article

  1. D.D Kosambi
  2. R.S. Sharma
  3. Irfan Habib, The Social Distribution of Landed Property in Pre-British India
  4. Kautilya
  5. Megasthenes

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In this issue

Vol. 18
7–12Bala Narasimha SculpturesBala Narasimha13–25Gender Inequality in Ancient Indian Buddhist MonasteriesS. Yashodhamani26–36Buddhist Sites in Visakhapatnam DistrictD. Mercy Ratna Rani37–47Saluva Narasimharaya's Contributions to Tirumala Tirupati TemplesV. Thimmapaa48–61**Cloistered Spaces and Invisible Politics: Women in Mughal India**M. N. Rajesh, Rekha Pande62–78Rani Attimabbe: Chivalry, Charity, and Jaina Influence in 10th-Century KarnatakaT. SURYA PRAKASH, Y. RAMACHANDRA REDDY79–99Agrarian Relations and Feudal Land Distribution in Medieval BhagalpurY. P. ROYCurrent article100–118The Shunned Cult of Jyestha: Revival and Transformation in Tamil NaduR. EZHILRAMAN119–134Rural Water-Resources and Irrigated Crop-Production in the Krishna-Godavari Tract: An Epigraphical Analysis from the 9th to 10th Century CESabarni Pramanik Nayak135–157Colonial Forest Policy and Deforestation in Bombay Presidency (1800-1947)LOUIZA RODRIGUES158–168John Dickinson and the India Reform SocietyPrabha Ravi Shankar169–187South Odisha's Mercantile Activities with South Asia (1858-1936 A.D.)N. P. Panigrahi188–205British Colonial Policies and Indian NationalismRukmini Nagarajan206–212The Grove: Architectural Fusion and HeritageJ. Sumathi213–240European Women's Political Endeavors in India: Annie Besant's Home Rule MovementI. Princes241–247Dewan Mirza Ismail's Economic Policies and Mysore's Industrial Growth (1926-1941)K. L. N. Murthy248–264Ganesh Idol Crafting in Western India: Culture, Creativity, and CommunityPreeta Nilesh265–280Monasteries, Shrines and Society: Buddhist and Brahmanical Religious Institutions in India in their Socio-Economic ContextBirendra Nath Prasad

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