Towns and Town Life in Medieval India
Medieval History › Medieval Society & Social Structure · Topic 7.2
Under the Sultanate towns grew around garrisons and as cultural centres, with a mixed population of nobles, clerks, shopkeepers, artisans, beggars, slaves and servants. In the seventeenth century Agra, Lahore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Patna and others grew into large centres of trade and manufacture, fed by rural grain markets and nobles' demand, but the urban majority, the poor, lived on very low wages.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Medieval Society & Social Structure
At a Glance
- Sultanate Garrison towns and cultural centres
- Mughal cities Agra, Lahore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Patna, Dacca
- Small towns Qasbas from rural grain markets
- Largest group The urban poor
- Lowest wage Under Rs 2 a month for servants
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Medieval Society & Social Structure
Where Does It Fit?
This is the second topic of the category on medieval society and social structure. The previous topic covered the village, and this one covers towns. The next topic covers artisans and master-craftsmen. Previous topic: Rural Society Structure in Medieval India. The earlier urban growth is in Milinda Panho Guilds Shrenis; at least two…">Crafts, Commerce and Urban Growth (200 BC to AD 250).
How Did Towns Develop Under the Sultanate?
In short: Turkish rulers were an urban ruling class, and many towns grew around military garrisons that needed food, goods and services.
The Turkish ruling class was essentially urban with a taste for town life, so towns revived under the Sultanate. Many grew around military garrisons as providers of food, goods and services to them, and in due course many became cultural centres. The Sultanate rulers also quickened economic life by improving communications, and the Turks introduced or popularised crafts and techniques: the iron stirrup and armour, the improved rahat for irrigation, paper-making, glass-making, the spinning wheel and an improved loom, and a superior mortar that let them build arches and domes. These helped the growth of the second half of the fourteenth century. For their administration see Administration of the Delhi Sultanate (Iqta System, Central and Provincial Administration).
Who Lived in the Medieval Town?
| Group | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nobles | Sultan and chief nobles lived in great ostentation in palaces and used costly apparel; some patronised arts and letters |
| Clerks and officials | A large class with the education to run government offices; teaching was largely with the Muslim ulama, so ulama and lower officials thought alike and most historians came from this group |
| Shopkeepers and artisans | Producers and sellers of goods; royal karkhanas made costly goods for the court |
| Beggars | A large mass who generally bore arms like ordinary citizens and could create problems of law and order |
| Slaves and domestic servants | Another large section; see Servants and Slaves in Medieval Indian Society |
| Poor | The largest section in the Mughal city was the poor: artisans, servants and slaves, soldiers and manual workers |
How Did Towns Grow in the Mughal Period?
Already in the sixteenth century a number of major towns had developed. According to Ralph Fitch, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri were larger than London, then one of Europe’s biggest towns, and Monserrate said Lahore was second to none in Europe or Asia. A recent study shows Agra more than doubled in size during the seventeenth century. Bernier said Delhi was not less than Paris and Agra bigger than Delhi. Ahmadnagar and Burhanpur in the west, Multan in the northwest and Patna, Rajmahal and Dacca in the east grew large; Ahmedabad was as large as London with its suburbs, and Patna had two lakh people. These towns were administrative centres and also centres of trade and manufacture.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Grain markets | About 20 per cent of rural produce was marketed, and rural grain markets led to small townships or qasbas |
| Nobles’ demand | Concentration of money revenue in the hands of the nobility created demand for luxury goods, building materials, sarais and baolis, and expanded handicrafts and towns |
| State action | Direct government interest led to the growth of arms manufacture and shipbuilding; Shah Jahan began building sea-going vessels in 1651 |
What Was Life Like for the Town Poor?
In general, food grains were cheap for townsfolk under the Sultanate. Under Alauddin Khalji a man (about 15 kg) of wheat sold for 7½ jitals when 48 jitals made a silver tanka. Under Firuz a small family could live on five tankas a month, which suited a lower official or soldier, but not the artisan and the worker. Under Alauddin an artisan earned 2 or 3 jitals a day or about 1½ to 2 tankas a month, and household servants less. Under Akbar an unskilled labourer earned 2½ to 3 rupees a month or less. In the Mughal city the lowest servants received under two rupees and most workers and foot soldiers started at under three, while a man could feed his family on two rupees a month. Medieval society was thus one of great inequalities, more marked in Muslim society, which was more urban, while Hindu society was predominantly rural. In towns the nobility and some wealthy merchants lived with great show, while the great mass lived simply and faced hardship, though festivals and fairs relieved the monotony.
As an analytical point, towns were driven by the court and the revenue system more than by local manufacturing enterprise, which explains why they flourished where the state spent its income and declined when power moved. The classes in the towns are described in The Middle Strata and Commercial Classes in Medieval India.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Sultanate to Mughal Continuity of urban growth
- Evidence Traveller accounts and wage figures
- Link Prepares artisans, slaves and merchants
What Came Next?
The next topic describes artisans and master-craftsmen. Next topic: Artisans and Master-Craftsmen in Medieval India.
Key People and Terms
- Qasba Small township
- Karkhana Royal workshop
- Garrison town Town that grew around an army camp
- Jital Small coin; 48 to a tanka
- Tanka Silver coin
- Rahat Water-lifting device
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Towns grew around garrisons.
- 48 jitals = 1 tanka.
- About 20 per cent of rural produce marketed.
- Agra more than doubled in the seventeenth century.
- Servants under two rupees a month.
Do Not Confuse With
- Qasba and city Small market township versus large administrative and trade centre
- Jital and tanka Small copper-linked unit versus silver coin
- Sultanate and Mughal towns Garrison-based growth versus trade and demand-based growth
Memory Hook
Garrison, market, court demand: towns grow; the poor still count their coins.
Mains Angle
Questions on towns ask for causes of growth and social make-up. These points add depth.
- Causes Garrisons, grain markets, court demand
- People Nobles, clerks, artisans, slaves, poor
- Inequality Wages versus ostentation
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Discuss the growth of towns and the nature of town life in medieval India.”
How to Answer
- Origins Sultanate garrison towns.
- Growth Mughal cities and qasbas.
- People Groups and wages.
- Verdict Inequality and state-driven growth.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
How did towns develop under the Delhi Sultanate?
The Turkish ruling class was urban, so towns revived. Many grew around military garrisons, supplying them with food, goods and services, and in time many became cultural centres as well as centres of crafts and trade.
Which towns were large in Mughal India?
Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Patna, Burhanpur, Multan, Rajmahal and Dacca were large towns. European travellers compared several of them, such as Agra and Delhi, with London and Paris in size and importance at the time.
What were qasbas?
Qasbas were small townships that grew up from rural grain markets, since about 20 per cent of the rural produce was marketed. Rural markets and the sale of the state's share through grain dealers helped them grow.
How did the urban poor live?
The urban poor, who formed the largest section in cities, earned very low wages. Servants earned under two rupees a month and most workers under three, and a man could feed his family on about two rupees a month.
Who lived in medieval towns?
Towns had nobles, a large class of clerks and officials, shopkeepers, artisans, beggars, slaves and domestic servants, soldiers and manual workers. The poor were the largest section, while the nobles lived in great ostentation and show.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Many Sultanate towns grew around military garrisons.
They supplied food, goods and services.
2 About 20 per cent of the rural produce was marketed in the Mughal period.
This led to qasbas.
3 Beggars were unarmed and posed no law-and-order problem.
They generally bore arms and could create problems.
4 Shah Jahan began a ship-building programme in 1651.
Four to six ships were built each year.
Related Topics
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