The catalyst for this transformation was the crisis in the late classical agrarian economy and the decline of long-distance trade following the fall of the Roman Empire. With trade routes disrupted and urban centers decaying, the monetary economy contracted severely. Kings and regional rulers, facing a shortage of physical currency to pay their officials and maintain their armies, resorted to granting land instead of salaries. These land grants carried not just the right to collect revenue but also administrative and judicial rights over the peasants living on the land. Consequently, a new class of landed intermediaries emerged, standing between the king and the actual tillers of the soil, effectively decentralizing political power and giving rise to a feudal hierarchy. Proliferation of Castes and Social Stratification
The economy of early medieval India was primarily agrarian, with agriculture being the mainstay of the majority of the population. The period saw the growth of trade and commerce, both within India and with neighbouring countries. The emergence of towns and cities, such as Varanasi, Patna, and Delhi, facilitated trade and commerce. Early Medieval Indian Society Rs Sharma Pdf Download -