This can be connected to the decline in trade and commerce as those engaged in it also

declined in importance. Their decline in Bengal is discussed by Niharranjhan Ray, who talks of
Lakshmanasena, who writes the following at the unfurling ceremony of the trader’s banner: “O
where are the traders who once held you aloft? You are now being used as plough or animal-
post”. There was contempt for goldsmiths as dealers in gold were associated with the
disappearance of coinage for centuries on from 650AD. Manual work became more
contemptible in medieval times.
In the discussion on peasantisation, we must give importance to the differentiation within the
shudra community. There was a division of shudras into pure (sat) and impure (asat) as
described by texts like Brahmavaivarta Purana. Many vaishyas who had been reduced to status
of sudras were classified under sat as were those of mixed caste. There was a phenomenal
growth in the number of impure shudras, or untouchables.. This rise plays an important role in
the proliferation of castes which we will discuss later. This increase can be somewhat explained
by looking at the economy. As grants were issued to extend agriculture to peripheral areas,
there was an induction of relatively less developed tribes who inhabited these areas, into the
Hindu system through Brahmanisation and Hinduised Buddhism. They were rendered as
untouchables because of their backwardness. As some were reduced to untouchables, the
remaining were satisfied as they took the place of vaishyas. Chattopadhayaya talks about the
transformation of tribes into peasants as one of the forces in operation throughout history.
Proliferation of Castes
The early medieval period was also characterized by a sporadic increase in castes and has been
described by Sharma as one of proliferation and fragmentation. Existing varnas broke up into
new castes and new tribes and caste were incorporated into the existing fold. Proliferation was
striking among brahmanas who multiplied with the growth of localism. Inscriptions refer to 194
gotras, which all came up due to migration and colonization of new areas.
The classical theory given for the origin of the numerous castes regards them as the product of
confusion of the four primary varnas. This is borne out of an understanding of varna and jati in
the context of texts such as the smritis. However, it goes without saying that the varna-jati
systemin reality at the time was not strictly identical to the picture presented by the normative
texts.
In early medieval times, constant transfer of land, led to the rise and growth of kayastha
community. These were of record keepers and writers, who had to draft documents of land
assignments and maintain records of land, villages and items of revenue given in the grant.
Initially they were drawn from the brahmana group but gradually, from different varnas. They
cut off marriage and other social connections, from the parent community, and confined
themselves to the new community while practicing class endogamy and family exogamy. Rise of
these as professionally literate class, undermined the monopoly of brahmanas as writers and
scribes. Kayastha were also appointed ministers such as that of Chandella and Kalachuri
kingdoms. They were also resented by brahmanas because they maintained records of land
grants with which the latter were mainly concerned.
In this new social group, there was proliferation as well. Kayasthas came to be divided into
territorial subcastes. At present, Karana kayasthas of Bihar maintain lists of their numerous
mulas like Maithils and Ambastha kayasthas who are divided into more than 100 subcastes.
“Lower” castes such as goalas and kurmis were divided into territorial groups forming subcastes
though there is a lack of written records in their case.
In the kshatriya community, proliferation was caused mainly by the emergence of the new
group of Rajputs. By the 12th century, the term Rajaputra came to denote a collective term for
the new clans which emerged. B.D. Chattopadhyaya attributed this emergence to the
widespread phenomenon of proliferation of lineage based states in the early medieval period.
Statements regarding Rajput clans number them to 36, and in general they represent a mixed
caste, consisting fairly large numbers of petty chiefs holding estates.
Chattopadhyaya posits that it can be juxtaposed with the spate of colonization of new areas,
expansion of agrarian economy and proliferation of settlements. There is heterogeneity in the
kind of transformations taking place, which included disparate groups Medas who came from a
tribal background and Hunas who were foreigners; they were drawn in due to the rajputisation
process of social mobility.
Major clans which played a politically dominant role in early medieval India were Pratiharas,
Guhilas and Chahamanas. Chattopadhyaya talks of two stages involved in their development.
The first was a political process of disparate groups seeking political power. The second stage
became a comprehensive social phenomenon, with multiplication of rajaputras, not just as a
result of consolidation of political power, extended to explain growing phenomenon of minor
clans and subclans. According to Sharma this was an important development as they played a
role in superimposing their clan organisation on the existing social structure based on caste.
Shudras gave rise to the largest number of castes in the early medieval period. Earlier there
were 10-15 and by the 5th century AD, there were 61 mixed castes. Conquest of people living in
jungles by brahmanised princes added to shudra castes enormously. Suppression of Bhillas is
mentioned in this conext in an inscription. As tribes were not absorbed as one caste or varna,
we hear of abhira brahmanas, abhira kshatriya, abhira vaishya. A Kalachuri inscription, of the
12th century talks of deliverance of the Ratanpur prince, Jajjalladeva II, from the clutches of the
tribe, Thirus or Tharus which was celebrated with the donation of villages to brahmanas. There,
brahmanas inducted tribal people into the cultural fold, supplied material culture of
brahmanas, taught the script, language, plough cultivation, knowledge about crops, seasons
etc. These tribal people were accommodated as pure or impure shudras.
Another significant process was the transformation of crafts into castes. As trade languished,
craft guilds became stagnant, immobile, hereditary and localized. Guilds turned into closed
exclusive groups resembling castes for all practical purposes. Craft villages are mentioned in
medieval inscriptions, such as two refer to kumbharapadraka which signified potter caste.
Also, as religious affiliations multiplied, there was a parallel multiplication in castes. Shaivism,
Vaishnavism, Buddhism and Jainism broke into numerous sects due to differences in rituals,
food and dress, sustained by regional practices. For instance, Jainism had 7 in Karnataka. The
irony, as pointed out by Sharma was that sects which had come up to remove caste got
swallowed up by the caste system.
Conclusion
Thus we have seen that the early medieval period was characterized by tremendous social
changes, which were set in the context of the economic features of that period. Aside from
witnessing the emergence of new groups like kayastha and rajputs, it also saw the subjection of
the already existing peasantry. There was a peasantisation population with the extensiuon of
agriculture and proliferation of numerous castes. These changes laid groundwork for further
changes that were too take place which have helped shape our modern day social identities.