Social Formation in Medieval Bengal PDF
Preview Social Formation in Medieval Bengal
Social Formation in Medieval Bengal R eena B haduri Bibhasa Kolkata Published by Bibhasa 20/4, New Santoshpur Main Road Kolkata - 700 075 Printed by Marksman Media Services 21/A, Rani Sankari Lane Kolkata - 700 026 Bound by Subhra Pal 35/A/3, Biplabi Barin Ghosh Sarani Kolkata - 700 067 Distributed in Collaboration with Progressive Publishers 37 A, College Street Kolkata - 700 073 First Published in October 2001 © The Author Price : Rs. 295/- ISBN 81-87337-11-7 To the memory of Dr. Pramatha Nath Baneijee Prof. Makhan Lai Roychowdhuri Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Shibli Contents Preface 1 Introduction 1 1 : Sociopolitical Organisations 21 in the 13th Century: Background of Turkish Occupation of Bengal 2 : Turkish Political Authority: 35 Consolidation and Indegenisation 3 : Transforming Social Groups: 61 Towards Acculturation and Accomodation 4 : The Ruling Class: Development 89 of a Composite Nobility 5 : Land System and Revenue 107 Organisation: Change and Continuity 6 : The Rural Class: The Peasantry 140 and Agrarian Sector 7 : Technology, Trade And 165 Monetary System 8 : Trends in Urbanisation - 197 Economy, Constituents and Typology Conclusion 233 References 254 Appendices 280 Abbreviations 304 Bibliography 305 Index 323 Preface This work took its initial shape as a Ph. D. dissertation and derives basically its present form from part of a doctoral thesis submitted to the University of Calcutta. It was conceived in a very elementary form when I was a graduate student at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University (U.S. A), in mid-sixties. I would not like to call the work just an exercise in ‘specialization’ in medieval history - in attitude, approach and training, I have failed to become a professional ‘History person’ in modem and technical sense. I would like to consider my 'subject’ a part of Humanities rather than of Social Science. I was a little girl at the time of Great Calcutta Killings, Partition and Indian independence. On a late April morning (1947) me and my brother were standing on the balcony of our house looking out to the street in front. We eye-witnessed a gruesome killing - an old local tailor being beaten up, killed and dragged to be drowned in the nearby Ganges by some neighborhood goons. We dared not divulge the agonizing secret to the elders, but a domestic attendant later told us that the poorman had been killed because he was an 'enemy' This traumatic childhood memory, later with many other factors, drove me to a personal quest to the roots of the history of interaction betw een the two ma jor communities (i) of the sub-continent. At a growing age my world of History7 was influenced by three people : my late father Dr. Pramatha Nath Banerjee, Professor of History and Law, Dr. M. L. Roychowdhuri of the Department of Islamic History' and Culture, both of Calcutta University and my language teacher Dr. Muhammad Rafiq Shibli of R. K. Mission Institute of Culture, who gave me lessons in Urdu, Persian and History of Islam. All three of them, with great intellectual capability* and academic excellence, never believed that Hindu-Muslim divide was embedded in the historical logic of India. My personal, familial, social and academic experience lead me to be convinced that religious loyalties do not take precedence over common points of association and bonds of relationship based on tangible intersocial ties. On the other hand, historically cultural exchanges and shared material interests are far more viable factors in inter - community relations. But whatever the personal experiences and influences are. in selection of data and presentation of facts, I hope my perception has not been clouded by any bias. On the basis of existing data, I believe, one can safely trace the growth and strength of a composite society in medieval Bengal which sustained for centuries, may be with some periods of trials and tribulations, but without marked fanaticism, based on religion alone. A deeper look into the social-economic condition in the period of study reveal that a clear-cut dividing line between the ‘Hindus' and the ‘Muslims’ was not present, and there was a large overlap in their social customs, religious practices and belief. The perception and the process needed a macro study to place the period in a larger context, at the same time pointing to its special features and reasons behind the specialities. Many vital areas remained uncovered, not because their signifiacnce was overlooked, but because they are more perceptively and professionally dealt elsewhere. I am entirely responsible for the content and perception of the work, any error of fact, style, failure to acknowledge adequately, are totally unintended.I have not intentionally used diacritical marks which tend to be incorrect without specialized printing. I have been moved over and again to rethink, from different angles, by the works of Prof. Irfan Habib and Prof. Brajadulal Chattopadhyay. Anybody who works on the history of medieval Bengal is bound to be indebted to the classical works of late Dr. M. R. Rahman I do not have any thing (ii) new to say. if the main arguments of the book lead to some rethinking and closer scrutiny by students and young scholars of the extant historical data questioning ruling orthodoxies about historical processes, it will be enormously gratifying. First and foremost, I am deeply indebted to my family for much treasured emotional support in whatever I do. Amar, my husband.is my severest critic, but it should be gracefully admitted here that with his exceptionally logical mind and wide range of reading. I have always benefitted from his criticism. My daughter Tisha and son-in-law Dipankar Baneijee (Belgium), son Kaushik and daughter-in-law Sakina Sadat (USA) are not only my friends but guardians too, who always insist that I pursue academic work seriously. My niece Ishanee Mukheijee, a scholar and teacher of History, took regular interest in the work. My eldest brother Dr. Pumendu Kumar Baneijee (Geneva), a scholar and diplomat, encouraged me and offered assistance to prepare the text. My third brother, poet and scholar Prof. Ron. D. K. Banerjee (USA), main witness of the tragedy, has lovingly allowed me to use his poem ‘Calcutta 1947.' Dr. Aniruddha Ray, Dr. Ratnabali Chatterjee. Prof. Qamruddin, Dr. Ranjit Sen of the Department of Islamic History and Culture, Calcutta University, encouraged me to publish the work, I thank them sincerely. Sri Alok Ghosh of the Department of History, Kalyani University and Executive Editor, ‘Aitihasik' finally convinced me to publish the work from ‘Bibhasa’, I am grateful to him and his team. Reena Bhaduri R-8/2, Baishakhi Aptts. 2 Dr. Daudar Rahman Road, Calcutta 700 033 (iii) Calcutta 1947 A late April day and ordinary. 1 was standing in the third story blacony, my body bent over the grip of my hands on the cool railing A late April day and ordinary. He was walking slowly past the angle of my appraisal slowly, when a voice from the opposite house shouted something. And he ran, tugging his body in queer jerks, his doll’s bones seeming to rattle. But not far. He fell down gasping, even before they had forked out of the narrow lanes, with sticks and clubs, iron rods tom from the Children's Park. I seem to remember That he had crawled a little, as if towards an invisible lair. in the heat's white belly. Then they had tied a straw rope round his thin ankles and dragged him to the Ganges, to bloat with water. Later, having seen other bodies great with heat, 1 understood that he had belonged to the enemy - an offering to the pitiless April noon. R.D. K. Banerjee (excerpts from A View from the Balcony : Calcutta -1947) (v) I ! i
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