Category 7 · Medieval History

Medieval Society & Social Structure

8 micro topics in Medieval History for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Rural Society Structure in Medieval India; Towns and Town Life in Medieval India; and 6 more.

1. 7.1

   Rural Society Structure in Medieval India

   Medieval rural society was hierarchical: rajas above zamindars, and below them khudkasht peasants who owned the land they tilled, muzarian tenants, and landless kamin or untouchable labourers and village artisans. Peasants had hereditary rights as long…

2. 7.2

   Towns and Town Life in Medieval India

   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…

3. 7.3

   Artisans and Master-Craftsmen in Medieval India

   Artisans ranged from village craftsmen paid in customary commodities to town weavers, metalworkers and paper-makers who served courts and markets, and a small but important group of master craftsmen. Turkish rule brought new crafts and tools;…

4. 7.4

   Status and Position of Women in Medieval Indian Society

   Women in medieval India were honoured within the home but distrusted and kept dependent on male relatives. Purdah spread among upper-class women under Turkish and Arab influence, sati was practised and debated, early marriage continued, and…

5. 7.5

   Servants and Slaves in Medieval Indian Society

   Slavery, long known in India, West Asia and Europe, was adopted by the Arabs and Turks, and slaves were acquired mainly by capture in war and bought for domestic service, company or skills. Some, like Aibak's…

6. 7.6

   Standard of Living in Medieval India

   Travellers described the wealth of the ruling classes and the poverty of peasants, artisans and labourers. Ordinary people wore little clothing and few shoes, lived in mud houses with cots and earthen pots, and ate rice,…

7. 7.7

   The Ruling Classes – Nobility and Rural Gentry

   The Mughal nobility and the zamindars together formed the ruling class. The nobles, drawn first from Turan and Iran and then increasingly from Afghans, Indian Muslims, Rajputs and Marathas, earned the world's highest salaries, spent lavishly,…

8. 7.8

   The Middle Strata and Commercial Classes in Medieval India

   Medieval India had a middle strata of small mansabdars, shopkeepers, master craftsmen and professionals such as hakims, scholars, qazis and petty officials, many supported by madad-i-maash grants, and a large, well-organised trading class. Merchants like Virji…

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Frequently asked questions

Which topics are in Medieval Society & Social Structure?

Medieval Society & Social Structure has 8 micro topics in Medieval History: Rural Society Structure in Medieval India; Towns and Town Life in Medieval India; Artisans and Master-Craftsmen in Medieval India; Status and Position of Women in Medieval Indian Society; Servants and Slaves in Medieval Indian Society; Standard of Living in Medieval India; The Ruling Classes – Nobility and Rural Gentry; The Middle Strata and Commercial Classes in Medieval India.

Is Medieval Society & Social Structure important for UPSC Prelims?

Medieval Society & Social Structure is a part of the UPSC Prelims Medieval History syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 8 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.