Indian feudalism refers to thefeudal society that made upIndia's social structureuntil the formation of the Republic of India in the 20th century.
Use of the termfeudalism to describe India applies a concept of medieval European origin, according to which thelanded nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while the peasants (villeins orserfs) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. The term Indian feudalism is used to describetaluqdars,zamindars, andjagirdars. Most of these systems were abolished after theindependence of India and the rest of the subcontinent.D. D. Kosambi andR. S. Sharma, together withDaniel Thorner, brought peasants into the study of Indian history for the first time.[1]
TheBihar region (now a state) of India was a hotbed for feudalism. Feudal lords ruled the region for decades; semi-feudal conditions still exist. As a result, child malnourishment is common, in spite of modern Bihar's status as having the fastest growth in gross domestic product in India.[2]
The region implemented a feudal system known as the ‘Zamindari system’ and was largely controlled bydoras anddeshmukhs untilHyderabad's annexation. The landlords or feudal lords held large tracts of land in theirfief and were responsible for collecting taxes from the peasants who worked the land, a portion of which would be paid to theNizam of Hyderabad. The peasants were tenants under the feudal lords and cultivated this land, paying rent in the form of a share of their produce or money to the feudal lords. The peasants had very little security and were often subjected to high taxes, forced labor, and various forms of abuse and exploitation. The oppression experienced by the lower class in theTelangana region (now a state) ultimately led to theTelangana Rebellion against the feudal lords (known inTelugu asVetti Chakiri Udhyamam) which took place from 1946 to 1951.[3] The feudal lords used to reside in a high fortress called asGadi,[4] for entering it they leave their footwear at the threshold of the gadi. TheMadigas and otherlower castes were required to carry their footwear in their hands if they were passing in front of the gadi or dora.
The phrase"Banchen Dora née Kalmoktha“ became a popular saying during the rebellion, capturing the peasants’ deep-rooted resentment towards the feudal lords. The phrase literally means “I am your slave my lord, I bow to your feet" and reflected the severe exploitation of the peasants under the oppressive feudal system.[5]Shyam Benegal's filmsAnkur andNishant graphically depict feudalism in Telangana, while the Telugu filmMaa Bhoomi accurately portrays the lifestyle of peasants under feudal lords as well as the socio-economic struggles which led to the rebellion.
TheSrikrishna Committee on Telangana has stated in its findings that there is still gross injustice to the land tillers of the region, the villains, in this case, being the landlords of Telangana and not those of other regions.[6]
There were a number of feudal states in Kerala in the Middle Ages andEarly Modern Era between the rule ofChera dynasty and theBritish Raj (smaller feudal estates remained even during British rule). InKerala,Kshatriyas,Nairs, andSamantha Kshatriyas were prominent during feudalism. Nairs acted as both feudal lords as well aswarriors.
Initially,Bombay was inhabited by numerous tribes who lived in densely forested regions with no semblance of authority. However, sometime after the fall of theYadavas of Devagiri, a feudal structure began emerging among these tribes.[7] Many petty chieftains belonging to tribes such as theGonds began ruling small areas inMadhya Pradesh which they sometimes fortified as a defensive measure againstIslamic kingdoms such as theMalwa Sultanate andBijapur Sultanate. Gond chieftains such as that ofLanji inBalaghat district ruled from strong forts calledgarhs. These tribalzamindars served their overlord kingdom in times of war but could also be a nuisance when they rebelled.[8]
These zamindars enjoyed privileges under the nativeGond kingdoms such asGarha-Mandla,Chanda andDeogarh. However, after theMaratha conquest of these regions by GeneralRaghuji Bhonsle, these zamindars were displaced from the plains and were forced to retreat into the forest areas. They had to pay tribute toRaghuji Bhonsle and his descendants from then on, and often rebelled against the later oppressive Maratha rule.[8]Many of thesezamindars rebelled in theRevolt of 1857 against the EnglishEast India Company, were defeated, their leaders executed and the feudal lands annexed to direct British territory as a result. However, some of them were still ruling after 1857 but their family lines died out and those who survived gave up their estates in exchange for pensions.
Several zamindaris were established in theMadras Presidency (present-dayTamil Nadu and adjoining areas) from 1799 onwards. The largest of these were Arni,Ramnad, Ganapur andSivaganga. The zamindari settlement was based on a similar settlement established inBengal. The Zamindari settlement ofMadras was largely unsuccessful and was wrapped up in 1852. However, a few zamindaris remained till India's independence in 1947.
North Arcot region was under jagirdars until the Indian independence. The largest estate was that of Arni, aDeshastha family. Arni estate was larger thanSandur princely state.
The Northern Andhra region was underTelaga doras until the Indian independence. The largest estate was that ofVizianagaram under the Poosapatikshatriya family.
TheRayalaseema region was under Ayyagaru until the independence. The largest estate was that of Panyam; which was ruled by aDeshastha family of Vishvamitragotra (lineage).
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The feudal lords inVidarbha region are notorious for their oppressive rule.
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