Class 10 History BSEH Solution for Chapter 4 Medieval Society : Europe and India Notes for Haryana board. CCL Chapter Provide Class 1th to 12th all Subjects Solution With Notes, Question Answer, Summary and Important Questions. Class 10 History mcq, summary, Important Question Answer, Textual Question Answer are available of Bharat and the World Book for HBSE.
Also Read – HBSE Class 10 History Bharat and the World Solution
Also Read – HBSE Class 10 History Bharat and the World Solution in Videos
HBSE Class 10 History Chapter 4 Medieval Society : Europe and India Notes for Haryana Board of Bharat and the World Book Solution.
Medieval Society : Europe and India Class 10 History Chapter 4 Notes
The social structure of any country is based on its physical environment. But, with the passage of time, changes also took place in the social structure. These changes are caused by the needs of society. History is the science of studying these changes. Its study shows that the social structure has been moving from simplicity to complexity. The social structure in the ancient period was simple, which became complex by the time of the medieval period. In Europe, the medieval period was called the Dark Age. This period is considered to be the period of exploitation of the weak by the powerful. After the decline of the vast states in Europe, the Feudal Lords started performing duties of kings. Their rule was based on exploitation and enjoyment. On the other hand, many changes took place in Indian society with the advent of Islam in the medieval period. Conversion took place for the expansion of Islam, although it was only partially successful. The Indian people strongly resisted the foreign invaders in the medieval period.
In the present chapter, we will study the following:
- Structure of Medieval Society in Europe
-
Condition of Women and Peasants in Europe in the Medieval Period.
-
Social Structure of India in the Medieval Period
-
Condition of Peasants, Slaves and Women in India in the Medieval Period
European Society
European society in the medieval period was mainly divided into three classes. The first class was that of the clergy. Their main work was to serve God and take care of the order of the church. The second class was that of the feudal lords, who had the responsibility of protecting society. The third class was that of the common people, who provided the means of living for both the upper classes. Generally, people believed that this division of society was based on divine will. Therefore, each class should be satisfied with its position. People believed that God had given birth to the people of a particular class with the qualities worthy of that class. A person with common qualities can neither become a priest nor a Feudal Lord.
1. Clergy: The status of the clergy was the highest in society. They had a profound influence on European society. The clergy were engaged in the service of God in the Church. The cathedral or Churches were a place of worship for Christians. There were innumerable churches in all parts of Europe. Some of which were small and some were big. Some churches had large real estate properties. The cathedral bell was rung to call people to prayer. It also informed them of danger. People also believed that the sound of the bell had the power to protect against storms and ghosts. These clergy were a type of landowner. These clergy used the income from the land for their personal interests. The king and feudal lord used to consult them. Many small feudal lords also took loans from them. The clergy of the great cathedral lived in beautiful palaces, wore gaudy silk robes, gems and kept horses. In addition to the senior clergy, there was another category of clergy, which included the junior clergy. It was the custodian of a small church, which was located in a distant village. They were mainly the sons of ordinary peasants or craftsmen. In their childhood, for little money, they took a vow to serve the church and started doing petty church work. When a feudal lord built a church in the village, he used to appoint these clergy there. Apart from a house, these priests also had some land. The villagers used to give one tenth of their income to the church. Unlike the senior clergy, these junior clergy were not highly educated. They were examined by the high priest (bishop) before being ordained to the church. This exam was only in name. These priests could neither write nor speak Latin.
Even for prayers, they used only the local language. These clergy lived like peasants. They used to work like peasants, but the rites related to birth, marriage and death were considered incomplete without them. Some clergy used to rent churches. Some of them used to sell the gold and silver utensils of the churches. Some people used to gamble in the churches and some were involved in brawls there.
2. Feudal class: In medieval Europe, there was an important class of feudal lords. Their main function was to provide justice and protection. They had rights over the land, but these feudal lords also had many sub-classes. This was the main ruling class. Large landowners were called counts or lords. From childhood, they developed in them qualities like physical ability, quick judgment, giving orders and obedience. They were given education in warfare, hunting, and horse riding. The feudal lords used to do justice by sitting in the court. They had a platoon of soldiers whose task was to participate in the war. Land was owned by the state and it used to divide the land among big feudatories. By dividing the same land into smaller feudal lords, they made them landowners. Every small landowner had to render military service to a land lord bigger than himself. For this reason, they had to keep a military contingent so that the lord could be provided with help in time. The life of the feudatories was prosperous. They lived in big palaces. They used to wear valuable clothes and they had thousands of acres of land. They had dozens of servants in addition to the clergy and the inner guard. The estates of small feudal lords were called fief or manors. The manor consisted of a fort and hundreds of acres of land. The landlord of the manor used to get the slave peasants to do agriculture on his land, did justice and also provided military assistance to his master when he needed it. The structure and decoration of the forts of his manor were simple. He held every bit of information about the outside world. He was interested in music and dance. He used to wear gaudy and colourful clothes along with precious gowns and put garlands and rings around their necks. Beating the wife in anger, killing the servant, etc., was a part of his habits.
3. Common people: The third class of medieval society was the common people, apart from the clergy and the feudal lords. The work of this class was to produce resources and food items for the upper classes. The work of the first class was to pray, the work of the second class was to protect; and the work of this class was to produce for both the upper classes. The medieval system was based on agriculture. Therefore, a large number of peasants were included in this class. In the agriculture-based economy of medieval Europe, the peasant who met the needs like bread, meat and leather was also considered the property of the landowners. He used to work for the landowner on his land. The land owner used to give him land to plough. He got only a part of the produce. He also gave one tenth of that part to the church. For his living, he had a hut of thatch in which his animals also took shelter during the rainy and winter seasons. These people lived the life of slaves. They could not even marry off their children without the permission of the lords. These people could not leave the manor of the lord or feudal lord. In addition to farming on the owner’s land, he had to do many works at the owner’s house, for which he was not even paid. This type of work was called forced labour. His entire family had to do this forced labour. Apart from working in the fields of the feudal lords, they had to grind wheat in their mill and bake bread in the oven as well.
Peasants of Medieval Europe The economy in Europe was based on agriculture in which land was of importance. The king had a monopoly on the land. He used to distribute the land among the feudatories. The feudato ries used to distribute it among the small feudal lords who used to get the peasants to do the farming. There were several categories of peasants. Some peasants had their own land; they were called independent peasants, but their number in society was small. A large number of peasants were semi agriculturists who cultivated the land of the feudal lord. They were tied to that land. If the land was taken by some other Lord, then the new owner became the owner of these semi slaves, who got a nominal share of the produce. They could not leave the land and go anywhere as it was considered illegal. They were also called a villein. They were a symbol of ignorance. Many proverbs were prevalent in Europe, such as: the brain of a peasant is made of stone, in which thoughts cannot enter, they faint due to the aroma, no other water can touch their faces except rain water, etc.
4. Superstitions: Superstitions were everywhere in European society. For the villagers, there was an inseparable relationship between the church and the miracle. Peasants used to sprinkle the water of baptism on the crops and give it to the animals. The wise clergy were opposed to superstitions and miracles. But their influence was limited.
Baptism : (religious bath) a religious act performed in Christianity to bathe or to grant a person membership of the Church.
5. Life in Christian Monasteries: Monasticism flourished in Europe between the 3rd to 6th centuries. These monasteries had an important place in medieval society. Solitary monks lived in monasteries. The monasteries also had large land properties. They were independent. Each monastery had its own prayer halls, fields, gardens and barns. Their lives were busy. There was a special worship at midnight, which was announced by the big bell ringing in the monastery. After worship, monks usually fall asleep again. Getting up in the morning, they used to participate in the morning prayer again. Till the afternoon, they spent their time in study and contemplation, after taking a short rest after lunch, they did work like copying the Bible, working in the garden, fishing, drying leather, making idols and bread. They went to sleep after praying and having food in the evening. The abbot ran the monastery. Under the abbot, assistant abbots were appointed to assist him. The abbot and the assistant abbots were generally like feudal lords. Their life was luxurious, but it was based on the code of conduct of the monastery. This code of conduct was based on simplicity. Like monks, nuns also had monasteries. Their life was based on a certain discipline, but their monasteries were not as prosperous as the monasteries of the monks.
6. Life of Women: In medieval Europe, the women of the feudal class lived a luxurious life. They were fond of decoration and playing different types of games. In the absence of their husbands, they had to play the role of lord of the manor or fief. Their main job was to hire the servants of the manor. Their days were spent in the care of the milking animals, in the gardens and in the kitchen. Women who used to wear embroidery and weaving sometimes even used weapons to protect the manor. Many women of the upper class were also skilled at horse riding, hunting and weapon handling. Maintaining physical beauty was taught to them in childhood, but the lives of ordinary women or farmers were very painful. She had to work on the owner’s land with her husband throughout the day. She was also the maidservant of her husband’s master. Her whole life was spent in the service of the Lord. She was also controlled by the wife of the feudal lord.
7. Means of entertainment: Fairs and festivals were celebrated with enthusiasm in medieval Europe. The Easter was celebrated with dance, music and a mass feast. Special dishes were prepared on the occasion of Easter. Going to the church on special occasions was also a celebration. People were also interested in archery in England. Medieval fairs were also a source of entertainment for the people. Here, on one hand, goods were bought and, on the other hand, jugglers and magicians used to show their tricks. People of the upper class were often interested in songs and music. On the occasion of the marriage of the upper class, song and music provided opportunities for entertainment for the common people. The sport of skating was popular in the winter. Fishing was also a means of entertainment.
8. Warfare: War was an important part of medieval European life. In medieval Europe, people of the warrior class were called knights. Half of his life was spent in war and the remaining half in caring for his wounds. Training was given to the knights. Generally, every feudal lord wanted to give that training to his son. The boy who became a knight had to get training in horse riding, gallantry and armament by staying with a Feudal Lords who had attained the title of a knight. On the completion of his training, a festival was organised in which the apprentice was awarded the title of knight. Conflicts between feudal lords were common in medieval Europe. The biggest role in this struggle was played by these ‘Knights’. The knight used to keep shields, lancets, a spear, an axe, a knife, and a club. He was a mounted warrior who played a decisive role in the war. To be killed in battle was a sign of his bravery. During the wars, sometimes there were also battles between two knights or warriors.
Knight: A title. In the medieval period, this title was obtained by horse mounted warriors. It was a symbol of bravery that showed that the holder was a protector of people. This title was obtained from a knight only by becoming his disciple. To become a knight, a young man had to lead a disciplined life under the observation of a knight. He was taught fighting skills so that he could protect the people from atrocities. The honour of women and the elderly was the aim of this training. The horse man who successfully trained was given the title of knight.
9. Education: Christianity was the foundation of medieval society and culture. People had complete faith in Christianity because they believed that they would get salvation only by following it. A scholar used to study language and literature only after getting inspired by the idea that it would help him to understand Christianity. Most of the feudatories in Europe did not even know how to write their names. Their interest was in warfare; they were indifferent to education. The feudal lords considered writing work against their pride. Primary education was dominated by the Church. There was a school attached to churches and monasteries. In these, only those children who had taken a vow to adopt the life of a priest or monk got education. Many schools used to admit other students for a small fee. The syllabus was simple. Here, after the practise of the alphabet, prayer books written in Latin were recited. At that time, Latin was the living language, which was spoken by the clergy and every educated person. Local dialects such as English, French, etc., were not practised. The school’s discipline was strict. The student was punished for making a mistake. The condition of the education of ordinary people was pathetic. Hence, superstition prevailed in society. For the villagers, there was an inseparable relationship between religion and rites. People used to make long journeys to the churches because touching or seeing the relics of a particular saint would cure their diseases. Ritual, tantra-mantra and witchcraft were prevalent in society.
Universities of Medieval Europe
- University of Bologna (Italy)
- University of Paris (France)
- University of Oxford (England)
- University of Cambridge (England)
- University of Wittenberg (Germany)
Students wishing to get higher education used to reach universities like Paris, Oxford, Bologna, Wittenberg etc. To get a higher education in medicine or law, one had to enter these universities. The life of university students was difficult. He had to arrange his own accommodation. Many students received very modest financial support from their families. The day of university graduates used to start early in the morning. Some students used to eat a small amount of food after having a bath in cold water. Most of them went to study without eating anything. After spending the whole day in study and debate, they used to return at dinner time. Only the teacher used to sit on the chair in the class and the students used to sit on the floor in front of the teacher. They followed religion. They had a strong desire for salvation. The study of God and all things related to him came under religion. There was not much room for argument in the field of God and religion.
Essentially, Christianity had a great influence on medieval European society. There was a tremendous increase in the power and wealth of the church due to the fact that the clergy of the upper class became luxuriant, immoral and corrupt. Although the Church played a major role in the fields of knowledge and education, Education was religion-centred. Feudalism spread its feet in Europe and the influence of feudalism on European society increased. The condition of the farmers was pathetic. Women also did not have equal status. European society was in the dark age.
Contemporary Indian Society
The structure of Indian society had become very complex during the medieval period. After the invasion of India by the Turks, a large number of people came here from Central Asia in search of sustenance. Most of them started living in India. They became a part of Indian society but were also successful in maintaining their own identity. Among these people there were a large number of people whose religion or creed was different from the original citizens here. Their arrival brought complexity to Indian society. The economy was based on agriculture, so the peasants had an important place in the social structure. The society here was rural and included, many categories of peasants apart from zamindars. The urban class was also divided into several classes, which included merchants, artisans, and intellectuals. There were many classes in this society from a religious and social point of view:
a) Ruling class: This included a class that represented the imperial power or central authority. The second class was the local rulers, chieftains or landowners who represented the local powers. This ruling class was involved in official work. They shared power with the rulers and received a high salary. Like the European feudal lords, they were not the owners of the land but they were certainly influential. Earlier, in the medieval period, the control of power was with the local rulers, but after the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, the control of the Turks on the central power had brought them to the second category.
Their position remained the same during the Mughal period as well. There was also a class within the ruling class that lived in the villages and enjoyed powers. This class was the class of landowners. They were the owners of large lands and the state also entrusted them with the responsibility of collecting rent or taxes from large areas, in return for which they also received remuneration from the king. These landowners were in the top position at the village level. They used to keep an army. They had their own forts, which were a symbol of their prestige. In different parts of the country, they were known by different names like Nayak, Rai, Choudhary, etc. Their income was limited in comparison to the urban elite. They lived like ordinary farmers. In medieval times, a powerful rural landowner was seen as a challenge to the central powers.
Mavasat: Many farmers neither paid taxes to the government nor obeyed any orders of the government. In the event of an attack by the army, they used to migrate to inaccessible places like forests, hilly regions, deserts, etc. Such areas were known in contempo rary descriptions as Mavas or Mavasat.
Ruling class: The ruling class consisted of administrative officials and zamindars of various states. The source of income of the functionaries of a large state was determined by the state; either they received a cash salary or had the right to collect taxes from the land of a large area. The area whose land revenue was assigned to them was called ‘Iqta’ between 13th to 15th century and the same area came to be called ‘Jagir’ from the 15th to 18th century.
Zamindar: The local ruling class in the medieval period that traditionally had the right to rule. The area over which his authority was valid was called his zamindari. As zamindars, they used to have official authority over the people living in the area.
b) Religious class : Along with Hindus, Muslims also lived in India during the medieval period. In both these religions, there was a class that made its living through religious activities. Among the Muslims, this class was called the Ulema. Along with teaching and learning, this class used to engage in religious activities. Maulvis came from this class who performed religious functions for the mosque; teachers of madrasas and maktabs; and judges of courts came from this class. They had state patronage. Grants were also given to them by the state. They were knowledgeable about the religious texts of Islam. Among the Hindus, there was one such class, the Brahmins. The work of religious activities was done by Brahmins for Hindu society. Their main work was to teach the religious activities of the temple and in the schools. People used to give donations to them. They were scholars of Hindu religious texts. Almost every village in India had a Brahmin’s house. All the religious functions of the village were performed by him. The Brahmins among the Hindus and the Ulemas among the Muslims used to solemnise marriages according to the customs.
Ulema: Ulema is the plural form of the Persian word Alim. Alim is basically derived from ilm, which means knowledge, i.e., the possessor of knowledge is Alim. This was the main section of the learned people of Muslim society in the medieval period.
Maktab: Maktab was a type of school in which students received religious education along with the knowledge of the alphabet.
Balutedar: A class of village servants in medieval times who received a portion of the crop in return for work. Their number was 12 in the villages of Maharashtra, these included goldsmiths, potters, carpenters, blacksmiths, koli (boatman) etc. In return for his service throughout the year, he used to get a part of the crop when it was ready.
In the medieval period, the local ruling class had established it’s participation in government work. A large number of people belonging to the local ruling class held state posts.
- Nayak – South India
- Rai – South India
- Chaudhary – North India
- Rana – Rajasthan
c) Traders and Shopkeepers: Traders and shopkeepers were the main section of society. There was a class of prosperous merchants in India. Some of them were among the world’s richest merchants at that time. Some merchant classes used to do international and inter regional trade, while some used to do local retail business. The people doing regional trade were called Seths, Vohras, etc., while the rest were called traders or Baniks. At that time, the merchant did not belong to any one caste or religion. The merchants of Rajasthan were called Marwaris. Rich merchants lived in the port cities of India. Despite being rich, these merchants tried to show themselves as poor so that they would be saved from plunder and administrative exploitation. Usually, the merchants lived on the top of their houses and had their shops below. There were also two-story houses of traders in Delhi. Merchants were the shopkeepers, sometimes they used to usurp properties and give money on interest.
Besides the shopkeepers and traders, there were also small state officials who received remuneration from the state.
d) Peasant class: There was a large section of farmers in medieval Indian society, who used to bear the responsibility of maintaining the entire society. Its condition was as pathetic as that of European agriculturists. There were many classes in India too. They had many castes in different parts of the country. One category in this class was those who cultivated their own land. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was called ‘Khudkasht’ farmer who cultivated or tilled their land themselves. The second category was that of ‘pahikasht’ farmers. ‘Pahi’ means upper or outer. They were the farmers who used to cultivate in another village and used to have temporary huts there. Pahikasht peasants had only as much holding as they could cultivate using only the labour of their families. In the medieval period, the third category was of those farmers who did not have their own land and cultivated the land of a landlord and received a share of the produce. They were called ‘Raiyati’ or ‘Mujarian’. The condition of these farmers was deplorable. The major source of income for the state was the land revenue, and it was from this land revenue that the state used to pay big salaries to its officials, which the farmers could not even oppose. In rural areas, landowners, farmers, and other associated artisans of the farmer, such as carpenters, barbers, tanners, rope makers, blacksmiths, gardeners, drummers, etc., were all part of the village community.
Peasants
Contemporary documents mention several categories of peasants in the medieval period. According to historians, these can mainly be divided into three categories:
- Khudkasht farmers: Those farmers who had the ownership rights of the land, that is, the land on which they used to cultivate with their plough and oxen, belonged to them by law.
- Pahikast: Upper or outside farmer.
- Mujariyans: Mujariyans or mujaras were farmers who cultivated the land of a landowner and received a share of the produce.
e) Women: The marriage of a girl was done in childhood itself. There was no system of education for them, although we find many such examples where women of aristocratic families were fond of reading, writing, horse riding, etc. After marriage, her entire life was spent on the boundary wall of the house. Although some women of the royal family played a leading role on many occasions, such as when Rani Nayaki Devi and Rani Durgavati went ahead and led the army against the invaders. There are many such examples when the invaders have forced a ruler to marry his daughter to the victorious ruler. Child marriage was also in vogue in the medieval period. The rulers practised polygamy. Apart from many wives, many illegitimate wives lived in the harem of Muslim rulers. A large number of slaves were also kept in the harem. The practise of Sati was increased in the medieval period. Many wives of the ruling or aristocratic class followed this practice. During this period, ‘Jauhar system’ was also prevalent in India. The practise of the purdah system also increased during this period. Women were considered safe within the four walls of the house. She did not walk in front of any unknown person. Even the women of the aristocratic families used to live in purdah. Women were considered safe within the four walls of the house. Although in the medieval period some women dared to abandon the system of purdah; the names of Razia Sultana and Mirabai are notable among them. Mirabai had given up her purdah and dedicated her life to devotion to God, and Razia Sultana had renounced the purdah and assumed the throne of the Delhi Sultanate. The condition of ordinary women was deplorable. She had to do many kinds of work. Women from almost all classes of society used to do spinning work. The thread of the muslin of Bengal, which was world famous in medieval times, was made by women only.
f) Slaves: In the medieval period, slavery was prevalent in India. Most of the prisoners of war and those who could not pay taxes were made slaves. Large markets for slaves were held in Goa and Delhi. Men, women and children were all included among the slaves. After converting the slaves to Islam, they were made to do various service tasks like domestic work, lifting of spittoons, lifting umbrellas, work as bodyguards etc. Their condition was very deplorable. During the Mughal period, Akbar stopped the practice of enslavement of prisoners of war.
g) Artisans: There was also a class of artisans in medieval India who were very skilled at their work. Building construction was a major work in India during the medieval period, in which a large number of artisans worked. Apart from this, many artisans in villages and towns were engaged in the work of manufacturing goods. These were usually organised as castes. The textile industry was an industry that involved a large number of artisans. A large number of skilled craftsmen also worked in the paper making industry. A large number of artisans also worked on weaving raw silk and making indigo. Rural artisans mainly worked in their own homes; as in a weaver’s family, women and children separated fibre from cotton and spun yarn while men weaved cloth. These artisans can mainly be divided into two parts: those rural artisans who worked for only a few months in a year, like tellis, jaggery makers, indigo makers; and those who were professional artisans to whom traders could provide raw materials. And by giving advance money, they were able to get the work of manufacturing things done. The other artisans worked under them, who became proficient, to learn from them. In medieval Indian society, these were the same artisans whose products were in high demand in the western world. Due to this demand, European traders started looking for new ways to trade with India.
h) Education, Literature and Recreation : Nalanda, Taxila, Mathura, Gaya, Vikramshila, Ujjain, etc., the major centres of ancient education of India in the medieval period, began to deteriorate. Nalanda University was set on fire by the invader, Bakhtiyar Khilji. Grants to temples were stopped, and many temples were demolished. Due to this, Indian knowledge, science, and education suffered a great blow. Nevertheless, the spread of primary education on the basis of Gurukul system continued throughout India. The Sultans and Mughal rulers encouraged the Persian and Arabic languages by giving generous donations to Madrasas and Maktabs. The education of regional languages was encouraged in the medieval period. Literature in different languages was also created in the mediaeval period, in which the main role was played by the devout saints. The major works of this period are Kalhan’s Rajatarangini, Chandbardai’s Prithvirajraso, Amir Khusrau’s Tughlaknama, Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s Padmavat, Surdas’s Sursagar, Abul Fazal’s Akbarnama, etc. The means of recreation in India during the medieval period were mainly music, dance, hunting, wrestling, animal fights, chess, etc. There was also entertainment through festivals.
Conversion: In the medieval period, Islam arrived in India with invaders, merchants and Sufis. From 636 AD to 1761 AD, there were continuous invasions of foreign invaders into India. These invaders were motivated by the objectives of the expansion of their empire, the plunder of wealth and the spread of Islam, etc. But they had to face resistance from the people of India. If the policy of sword and fire was unsuccessful for conversion, attempts were made to convert people by greed and imposing jaziya tax. But they were partially successful in their effort. The approximate ratio of Muslims and Hindus to the total population of undivided India (Indian subcontinent) by 1800 AD was 1:7. That is, less than 15 percent of the population could be converted.
i) Bhakti Movement: A major feature of medieval Indian society was the spread of the Bhakti movement. In the Middle Age, the Bhakti movement emerged to awaken the confidence and self-respect of Indian society by freeing it from rituals, superstitions, and discrimination. Various saints like Ramanand, Guru Nanak Dev, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Dadu Dayal, Namdev, Tukaram, Ravidas, Kabirdas, Meerabai, Surdas, and Raskhan awakened the society against evil with their words. A few Sufi saints like Nizamuddin Auliya, Sheikh Farid, Salim Chishti, etc., created a sense of harmony in society through their preaching.