Page 1 :
Delhi Sultanate (1206-1550), Module-1, Early Medieval Period:, Historiography and Debates

Page 2 :
Introduction, The early medieval period spanning from c.600CE to, 1300CE is to be situated between the early historical, and medieval. Historians are unanimous on the fact, that this phase in Indian history had a distinct identity, and as such differed from the preceding early historical, and succeeding medieval. This in turn brings home the, presence of the elements of change and continuity in, Indian history.

Page 3 :
It is dubbed by B.D.Chattopadhyaya as a period which, long remained a much maligned period of Indian, history. This period is seen in Marxist historiography as, a breakdown of the civilizational matrix of early historic, India. Breakdown is envisaged in terms of social crises.

Page 4 :
Another issue that saw much disagreement among, historians relates to the nature of the polity in the, period. Different genres of historians agree that there, was a shift in the nature of polity of the post 600CE, phase from that of the pre 600CE days but the, causative factors responsible for this changing scenario, are not unanimously identified.

Page 5 :
Marxist scholars like R.S.Sharma, BNS Yadav and the, likes view early medieval polity as one of, decentralization and disintegration in sharp contrast to, early historical polity which encouraged forces of, centripetality. According to this historiography, decentralization and disintegration is to be posited, against the backdrop of the emergence and, crystallization of Indian feudalism.

Page 6 :
B.D.Chattopadhyaya does not however see the making of early, medieval India in terms of the crisis of a pre-existent, pan Indian, social order. He is not in favour of perceiving early medieval, phase only in terms of feudal formation., On the other hand he identifies three major processes which, were operative throughout Indian history viz, a) the expansion of state society through the process of local, state formation, b) peasantization of tribe and caste formation and, c) c) cult appropriation and integration.

Page 7 :
Feudalism Debate, The concept of feudalism is a borrowing from European, historiography. Combined with the notion of social, formation it is the seminal empirical writings of Henri, Pirenne and Marc Bloch which have perhaps served as, models for those who began seriously working out, empirical validation of feudalism as a social formation, in Indian history.

Page 8 :
Debate on the nature of polity, With regard to the difference of opinion regarding the, nature of polity, the multiplicity of regional powers, distinguished the polity of early medieval India from, the situation prevailing in the pre 600 CE days. The, causative factors responsible for this changing scenario, are not unanimously identified.