Ancient, medieval & culture

Concepts to cover

1. Indian feudalism: land grants, samantas, lord-vassal relationship, decentralised authority; the debate on its existence
2. Village officers mahattara and pattakila; grama, khetas, and the headman's role
3. Araghatta: the wheel with pots (Persian wheel prototype) for irrigation; tanks and wells
4. Hundi as a bill of exchange, revival of trade after 1000 CE, Banjaras as itinerant traders, Arab trade on the west coast
5. Agrarian expansion, land grants to temples and brahmanas, proliferation of jatis