Kings, Farmers and Towns Early States and Economies| Class 12 History Notes

Class 12 History Chapter 2 talks about the Kings, Farmers, Towns, Early States, and Economies between C.600 BCE to 600 CE. The chapter covers the different aspects of the political and economic history of the Maurya Empire and Gupta Empire with different historical evidence. It also talks about Mahajanapadas, James Princep & Piyadassi as well as clarifies why the Sixteen century was a major turning point for early Indian History.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Class 12 History Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns, and, Early States and Economies in detail.

Prinsep and Piyadassi

• James Prinsep was a British Official who deciphered the Brahmi and Kharosthi script in the 1830s.
• Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts were used in the past in different inscriptions and coins.
• These scripts mentioned and referred to the king as Piyadassi.
• The Piyadassi is used to a meaning of “pleasant to behold”.
• It is believed that these scripts say about the Samrat Ashoka.
• Now, scholars investigate to find out the connections between the political, economic, and Social developments through this script.

The Earliest States

The subpart of The Earliest States generally consists of The Sixteen Mahajanpadas and First amongst the Sixteen as mentioned below.

The Sixteen Mahajanapadas

• Mahajanapadas were the early states those were consisted of cities and were progressive.
• They started to use iron and coinage systems.
• There were so many Buddhist and Jain texts that mentioned the Mahajanapadas.
• Mahajanapadas played an important role in the development of Buddhism and Jainism.
• The name of the 16 Mahajanapadas were: Anga, kashi, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Asvaka, Avanti, Gandhra, kamboja, kosala, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, vatsa, kuru, and Magadha.

First Amongst the Sixteen – Magadha Mahajanapada

• The Magadha was located in the present Bihar which was the most powerful Mahajanapada.
• The Magadha was famous for its productive agriculture.
• There were so many iron mines which made it more accessible and a resourceful location.
• The initial capital of the Magadha was Rajgir.
• Their capital was shifted to Pataliputra which was located along the river Ganga.
• Bimbisara, Ajatasattu, and Mahapadma Nanda were the famous and ambitious kings of this Mahajanapada.

An Early Empire

Maurys Empire was the early empire that was established by Chandragupta Maurya. It was the first kingdom of India that covered the whole of ancient India with Afghanistan and Iraq. Chanakya was the kingmaker who made the Maurya kingdom more strong with its political knowledge.

• There was so much archeological evidence found that says about the empire. The sculptures and the scripts played a major role in this process.
• Arthashastra was written by Kautilya and gives us the political view of the Empire.
• Megasthenes wrote Indika which helps us to understand the socio-economic and cultural view of the Empire.
• Ashoka was the great ruler of this empire who spread the idea of dhamma.
• There were five major administrative divisions of the whole Empire including Patalipura, Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali, and Suvarnagiri.

New Notions of Kingship

• There were so many new towns and kingdoms emerged in the Deccan and South.
• They were stable kingdoms and prosperous. The included kingdoms are Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas.
• There are so many Sangam Texts that tell about these kingdoms.
• At this time, the Saka Era started and they established the kingdom in the northwestern regions of India.
• In the same time frame, the Satavahanas ruled the central India.
• The divine kings also ruled the Central Asia to Northwest India like Kushans.

A Changing Countryside

• The jatakas were written in the Pali language in the middle of the first millennium CE.
• The Panchatantra talks about the social and economic structure of this time.
• The use of iron increased production in every sector.
• The technologies increased production which benefited the different sectors of the economy.
• The landlords emerged as the powerful figures who controlled the cultivators.
• The Sangam Texts also mentioned the landlords imposed different categories for the village people.

Towns And Trade

• The new cities and urban center developments were included in the Mahajanapadas.
• There were some communication routes developed where Pataliputra became the major riverine route.
• Ujjayini held the major land routes which were near the coast.
• Elites and craft persons evolved in the second century BCE which has been found in the inscription.

Back to Basics: How are Inscriptions Deciphered?

The process of deciphering ancient inscriptions, such as those in Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts, has been a complex and painstaking task for historians. European scholars, assisted by Indian pandits, worked backward from contemporary scripts like Bengali and Devanagari to compare and decode older specimens. James Prinsep’s work in deciphering Asokan Brahmi in 1838 was a significant breakthrough. Deciphering Kharosthi, used in the northwest, involved comparing coins with Greek and Kharosthi scripts, aiding in identifying the language as Prakrit.

Historians analyze inscriptions closely, considering factors like content, style, language, and palaeography to determine rulers and historical events. For example, Asokan inscriptions reveal titles adopted by the ruler, like “devanampiya” and “piyadassi,” allowing epigraphists to attribute them to the same ruler. Assessing statements in inscriptions requires historians to evaluate their accuracy, plausibility, or potential exaggeration. Additionally, the context of where inscriptions are found and their linguistic accessibility to the population adds layers of complexity to understanding historical events.

The Limitations of Inscriptional Evidence

Epigraphy, while valuable, has its limitations in revealing historical truths. Technical challenges like faintly engraved letters and damaged inscriptions make reconstructions uncertain. Additionally, understanding the exact meanings of words used in inscriptions can be challenging, as some may be specific to particular times or places. Despite the discovery of several thousand inscriptions, not all have been deciphered, published, or translated, and many may have been lost to time. Moreover, inscriptions often focus on grand events and perspectives of those who commissioned them, neglecting routine aspects of life and diverse viewpoints.

As a result, epigraphy alone cannot fully elucidate political and economic history. Historians now emphasize broader topics like economic change and the emergence of social groups, questioning old and new evidence alike. Recent years have witnessed a heightened interest in the histories of marginalized groups, leading to reevaluations of old sources and the development of new analytical approaches.

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Kings, Farmers and Towns Early States and Economies- FAQs

What are the early states Class 12 history?

The earliest states emerged in the 6th century BCE which were mentioned in the early Buddhist and Jaina texts. The earliest 16 states were known as mahajanapadas. In which Vajji, Magadha, Koshala, Kuru, Panchala, Gandliara and Avanti were most important. The mahajanapadas had a capital city, which was often fortified.

What did subjects think about their rulers Class 12?

Subjects thinking about their rulers Contained in anthologies such as the Jatakas, and the Panchatantra. One Story known as the Gandatindu Jataka indicates the relationship between a king. and his subjects, especially the rural population “Could often be Strained.

What is the importance of Prashasti?

Prashastis are the kind of inscription which means ‘in praise of’. They were composed by Brahmans in praise of the rulers which might not be literally true. They were used for illustrating how rulers were.

What is meant by gahapati class 12?

A gahapati was the owner, master or head of a household, who exercised control over the women, children, slaves and workers who shared a common residence. He was also the owner of the resources – land, animals and other things – that belonged to the household.

How does inscription tell a story?

Inscriptions were the writings engraved on hard surfaces. They were written mostly on rocks, stones, walls of buildings, metals etc. They depicted important events of the past. Various languages such as Prakrit, Sanskrit, Kannada etc., were used for writing the inscriptions.