INDIAN FEUDALISM

Book Details:

• Author: R. S. Sharma

• ISBN: 9789352745555

• Edition: Third 2024

• Pages: 420

About the Book:

Indian Feudalism by R. S. Sharma is a seminal work that traces the origin, nature, and growth of feudalism in India, offering a comprehensive analysis of the political and economic transformations that emerged during the early medieval period. The book delves into how the widespread practice of land grants in medieval India led to the rise of a class of landlords with significant fiscal and administrative powers. These landlords, in turn, exerted their control over a peasant class that was deprived of its agrarian rights, fundamentally altering the social and economic structure of the time.

First published in 1965, this work has now been thoroughly revised in its third edition, with two new chapters that address current historiographical debates. In these chapters, the author not only refutes critics of the feudal model but also provides fresh data on rural life to illustrate the persistence of feudal elements in contemporary India. The book remains one of the most authentic and comprehensive studies of the social and economic processes at work in early medieval India, making it an invaluable resource for students, researchers, and scholars of Indian history.

With its profound insights and thought-provoking analysis, Indian Feudalism continues to generate lively debates about the structure of early Indian society and polity. It is a must-read for those interested in the complexities of India's historical and socio-economic evolution.