Ancient & Medieval Indian History Important Terms and Meanings for UPSC Prelims

 

   Ancient India

Advent of the Aryans/Early Rig Vedic Age

Avesta– oldest text in the Iranian Language

Naditarna– another name for River Saraswati, called the best of the rivers in the Rig Veda.

Dasa/Dasyus– indigenous inhabitants of India during Aryan migration

Panchjana- Aryans were divided into 5 tribes called Panchjana

Gavisthi – Term for war/search for cows in Rig Veda

Ayas– terms used for metals- copper/bronze in Rig Veda

Samudra– collection of water

Rajan – a kind of chief during Rig Vedic age

Samiti/Sabha/Vidatha/Gana– tribal or clan based assemblies

Purohita– head priest

Bali– voluntary offerings by people to the tribal chief

Prajapati– the officer who enjoyed authority over a large land or pasture ground.

Kula– Family

Kulapas– head of a family

Gramanis– head of the fighting hordes

Vrajapati– when the units settled after wars, the Gramini became head of the village,with course of time he came to be identified as Vrajapati.

Vrata/Gana/Grama/Sardha–  Different tribal groups

Jana– tribe

Griha– family

Kula– family

Purandara/Indra– breaker of forts/ warlord

Agni– Fire God

Varuna– Water God

Soma – God of plants

Aditi,Usha– deities,denoting dawn.

Kula – family

Kulapa– head of the family

Grama– village

Gramini- head of the village

Vis– the clan

Vispati– head of the clan

Jana– the people

Gopa/Gopati– head of the Jana

Rashtra– territory/country

Rajan– head of the rashtra

Senani– army chief

Purcharishnu– moving fort made for fighting  a war

Kshira- pakamodanam– grain cooked with milk

Aghanya– used for cow,meaning ‘not to be killed’

Sura and Soma– alcoholic drinks

 

Later Vedic Phase

Shyam/Krishna Ayas– Iron

Shatapatha Brahman- text talks about ploughing ritual

Vrihi– rice in Vedic texts

Vis – common people

Rajasuya yajna– sacrifice ritual meant to confer supreme power to the King

Ashwamedha yajna- unquestioned control over an area in which the royal horse ran uninterrupted

Sangrihitri – officer for collection of taxes and tributes

Vis/Vaishya– refractory people/common people

Rajanyas– close kinsmen of the King

Upanayana– investiture with the scared thread of 3 varnas according to the Vedic Texts

Rathakar– chariot maker

Gotra– cowpen/place where cattle belonging to the whole clan are ekpt.Later it meant descent from a common ancestor

Goghna– guest or someone who was fed on cattle.

Yajna– sacrifice rituals

Yajmana– one who performed Yajna

Official Positions in Later Vedic age

Purohita– the priest

Mahishi – the queen

Yuvraja– crown prince

Suta/Sarathi– charioteer

Senani– General

Gramani– head of village

Kshata– gateman/chamberlain

Sangrahitri– treasurer

Bhagadudha – collector of taxes

Akshavapa– courier

Palagala- friend of king – mnemonics- Kings Pal

Govikarta – head of forest department

Ganas– corporations of merchants

Sreshtins– aldermen

 

Teritorial States and the First Magadha Empire

Janapada– territory to which one belonged

Ekarat– title of Mahapadma Nanda- the sole soveregin who destroyed all other ruling princes

Jaladurga– water fort- Pataliputra in this case.

State and Varna Society in the Age of Buddha

Vessas– merchant streets

Nishka/Satmana– coins/prestige objects made of metals

Bhojaka– village headmen

Gahaptis– rich peasants

Mahamatras– higher officials in the court

Mantrin – minister

Senanayak – commander

Ayuktas- a class of officers in the kingdom

Gramabhojaka/Gramani/Gramika – different titles for village headmen

Balisadhakas– officers appointed to collect compulsory payments- earlier voluntary payments were called Bali.

Shaulkika/Shulkadhyaksha– toll officers who collected customs from traders

Parishad- small body similar to Samitis/sabhas – consisting exclusively of Brahmins

Bhandagarika– treasurer

The Age of The Mauryas

Bherighosha– policy of physical occupation

Dhammaghosha– policy of cultural conquest

Rajukas– officers vested with authority to reward or punish people as per policy of Dharma

Sangiti – Buddhist council

Bhaga– royal share of the produce

Dhammamahamatra – officer of Ashoka for propagating Dharma among social groups

Significance of the Mauryan Rule

Dharmapravartaka – King/ promulgator of the social order

Tirthas– important functionaries in the administration

Pana – silver coin equal to 3/4 th of a tola

Adhyakshas– 27 superintendents mostly to regulate the economic activities of the state

Samaharta – highest officer in charge of the assessment of the taxation

Sannidhata– chief custodian of the state treasury and store house

Dushtamatyas- wicked bureaucrats

Central Asian Contacts and Their Results

doab – land between two rivers

Strategos– military governors- system introduced by Greeks

Avadanas – texts composed during progress of Mahayana Buddhism

Yavanika – curtains borrowed from Greeks

Yavana– branch of Greeks known to ancient India

Horashastra– term for astrology/horoscope in Sanskrit

Drachma – greek word for Drama

Osadhi – plants

Ausadhi – medicines

Medieval India

India and the World

Manor– castle of the feudal lord

Samantas– feudal lords

Surya Siddhanta– work on astronomy revised and reformed by Aryabhatta

Northern Age- Age of the 3 Empires

aprabhamsha– corrupt languages considered forerunners of the modern Indian languages

antahpur- officials of the riyal household

bhukti– provinces

mandala/visaya– districts

uparika– governor of province/bhukti

visayapati – head of a district

samantas/bhogapati– chieftains/village headmen

pattala – administrative unit below visaya

grama mahajana/mahattara– village elders

nad-gavundas/desa-gramakutas– hereditary revenue officers in the Deccan

The Chola Empire

mandalams– provinces

valanadu/nadu– further division of povinces

agraharas– Brahman villages

Ur,sabha/mahasabha– assemblies in rural areas- meant for local self govt

mandap -pillared hall

Garbhagriha– chief deity room

devadasis– women dedicated to service of Gods

Gopurams– lofty gates of temples

Tirumaris–  writings of Nyanars and Alvars in Tmail,collected under 11 volumes in 12th century- often called the 5th Veda.

Nyanars– saint devotees of Shiva

Alvars– saint devotees of Vishnu

Economic and Social Life,Educational and Religious Beliefs

shrenis/sanghas– trade guilds- emerged as sub castes with time

dvadasa shreni– guild which became a sub caste of the vaishyas

munja– a kind of grass

samanta/ranak/rautta– feudal class,rajputs

bhoga– revenue

Mahasamantadhipati – high titles assumed by ministers,officials and feudal chiefs

kotisvara– millionaire

utpala saka– a wild vegetable of bitter taste

Basadis– Jain temples

Mahastambhas- pillars

Advaitvada– doctrine of non dualism

The Age of Conflict

amir-ul-umra– meaning Commander of commanders-title granted by Caliph to generals who were able to carve out a separate sphere of authority

Shikan– destroyer of images

Deul/Garbhagriha– chief deity room

jahan soz- meaning world burner- title of Sultan Alauddin because he ravaged Ghazni

The Delhi Sultanate-I

chahalgani- meaning- ‘the forty’- Turkish chiefs

chhatr– royal insignia

diwani arz– military department

sijada and paibos– prostration and kissing of monarch’s feet – under Balban

The Delhi Sultanate- II

malik naib – vice regent of the empire

shahna– high officer who controlled the market,merchants and prices

banjaras– traders – asked in UPSC prelims earlier.

dam – paisa

jitals– unit of currency

tankas– currency

sawar– cavalryman

khuts and muqaddams– landlords/village headmen

amils– local officials

diwani-amir-i-kohi– dept to improve cultivation in the doab

jizyah – tax on non Muslims

karkhanas– royal workshops

The agricultural and land revenue system of the early Turkish Sultans rested on two foundations viz. the 

• Iqta (assignment of land revenue,tax farming)
• Kharaj (Land Revenue).

Under Iqta System, the land of the empire was divided into several large and small tracts called Iqta and assigned these Iqtas to his soldiers, officers and nobles. In the beginning, an Iqta was based upon salary. Later, under Firoz Shah Tughlaq it became hereditary.

Government,and Economic and Social Life under the Delhi Sultanat

Khutba– islamic rulers accepting moral leadership of the Caliph

ulama– religious class

wazir– key administrative figure,earlier used for a military leader,later an expert on revenue matters

diwan-i-arz– military department

ariz-i-mamalik– head of military dept.

dagh – branding system of horses

diwan-i-risalat– dept of religious matters- headed by ‘sadr’

diwan-i-insha– dept of state correspondence

barids– intelligence agents

wakil-i-dar– officer in charge of  dept of slaves under Firuz Tughlaq

muqtis/walis– holders of iqtas

Provinces were divided into the Shiqs and shiqs were divided into parganas.

amil- head of pargana

patwari – village accountant

Rais– autonomus Hindu landlords

tanka/dirham– currency

muslin– fine cotton cloth from Bengal

dhunia- cotton handler’s bow

rahat– miscalled the persian wheel- used for lifting water for irrigation

zawabit – sultans had to supplement the Muslim law by framing their own regulations

jahandari– state based on worldly or secular considerations

zimmis– status given to Hindu subjects as protected people who accepted muslims rule and agreed to pay jizyah

• Firoz tughlaq made jizyah a separate tax from land revenue.