Changing Landscape of Rural Settlements in Early Medieval India

Caste Groups

“…However, with the dawn of the common era, there was a significant change in that structure -Brahmins were gradually becoming the receivers of land grants (Lubin 2018). By the time of the Gupta empire, land grants to Brahmins had become a common feature of most emerging and existing polities in the subcontinent and the Brahmins gradually became a significant landlord class in most regions (Singh 2009). Although land grants continued to be given to Buddhist monasteries in eastern India till well into the 12th century, with a spurt in growth from the 9th century onwards, such grants were mostly given by the rich and powerful -denoting the significance of a relationship of exchange between the monastic or ascetic orders and the worldly power wielders (Ghosh 2022).…”