Vedic Period:
Que. Discuss the factors that played an important role in the process of urbanization after the Later-Vedic period. [Practice Question]
Approach:
(1) Give a brief on Mahajanapadas.
(2) Give parameters of urbanization present in Mahajanapadas.
(3) Give factors that led to urbanization in Mahajanapadas.
(4) Conclude by stating Mahajanapdas indeed was the period of second urbanization.
Introduction:
Mahajanapadas were ancient Indian kingdoms that emerged during the sixth century BCE, following the decline of the Vedic civilization. These sixteen powerful states, such as Magadha, Kosala, and Avanti, were characterized by centralized governance, urbanization, and territorial expansion, shaping the political landscape of ancient India,
Parameters of Urbanization in Mahajanapadas:
(1) Centralized Governance:
The Mahajanapadas had a system of centralized governance with a monarch or king ruling over the urban centers.
Example: The kingdom of Magadha under the rule of King Bimbisara had a well- organized administrative system with a centralized authority.
(2) Urban Centers:
These kingdoms had well-established urban centers, often serving as administrative, political, and economic hubs.
Example: The city of Pataliputra in Magadha, known for its grandeur and strategic importance, served as a prominent urban center in the Mahajanapada period.
(3) Economic Activities:
Urbanization in the Mahajanapadas was associated with diverse economic activities, including trade, craft production, and agricultural surplus.
Example: Taxila in the Gandhara Mahajanapada was a thriving center of trade and commerce, attracting merchants from different regions.
(4) Infrastructure:
Urban centers had well-developed infrastructure, such as roads, canals, and public buildings, indicating organized planning and construction.
Example: The city of Ujjain in Avanti Mahajanapada had well-constructed roads, canals, and public buildings, demonstrating an organized urban infrastructure.
(5) Social Hierarchy:
Urbanization in the Mahajanapadas led to the emergence of a social hierarchy, with different occupational groups and social classes.
Example: The city of Shravasti in the Kosala Mahajanapada had a distinct social hierarchy with different occupational groups, including traders, artisans, and priests.
Factors that Played an Important Role in the Process of Urbanisation:
(1) Social Factors:
(i) Increase in Population: Structures excavated so far are generally unimpressive, but together with the other material remains they indicate great increase in population when compared with the Painted Gray Ware settlements. In urban centres there was a greater concentration of people than in the villages. There were more alternative sources of livelihood and more products were available for their use.
(ii) Use of Writing: Writing led to the compilation of not only laws and rituals but also facilitated book-keeping, which was so essential to trade, tax-collection, and the keeping of a large professional army. The period produced texts dealing with sophisticated measurement (Sulvasutras), which presuppose writing and which may have helped the demarcation of fields and houses.
(iii) Towns of Religion: The religion played an important role in the urbanization in the Gangetic plain. In the 6th century B.C. people had worship places in only a few places. There used to be big gatherings with people coming from distant places. Gradually, these religious places saw the emergence of towns. Vaishali was one of such town to grow out of religious importance.
(2) Economic Factors:
(i) Guild System: Both artisans and merchants were organized into guilds (Shrenis) under their respective headmen. We hear of 18 guilds of artisans but only the guilds of smiths, carpenters, loather workers and painters are specified. Both artisans and merchants lived in fixed localities in towns. We hear of merchants’ street in Varanasi from contemporary Buddhist literature.
(ii) Emergence of Market Towns: With growth of Mahajanpadas, trading activities increased and trading routes i.e. Uttarapatha and Dakashinpath were established. This ultimately led to development of market towns such as Taxila, Ujjain etc. Whatever be the causes of their origin of towns they eventually turned out to be markets and came to be inhabited by artisans and Merchants. At some places there was concentration of artisans.eg. Saddalaputta at Vaisali had 500 potters’ shops.
(iii) Surplus of Production: Production barley, pulses, millets, cotton and sugarcane Agriculture made great advance because of the use of the iron ploughshare and immense fertility of the alluvium soil in the area between Allahabad and Rajmahal. Lack of sacrifices boosted cattle wealth thereby generating surplus produce. The groups that grew up controlling this surplus wealth became the ruling class of the newly emergent kingdoms. And on the foundation of this wealth were born the cities of the sixth century B.C.
(iv) The Monetisation of Economy: Coins made of metal appear first in the age of Gautama Buddha. The earliest are made largely of silver though a few copper coins also appear. They are called punch-marked because pieces of those metals were punched with certain marks such as hill, trees, fish, hull, elephant, crescent, etc. The coin of highest value was the silver satamana. This was followed by the Karsapana. The copper masas and kakani were coins of smaller denomination. The earliest hoards of these coins have been found in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Magadha, although some early coins are also found in Taxila.
(3) Political Factors:
(i) Mahajanpadas: The rise of big territorial powers in 6th century BC onward provided a physical place for growth of urban centres. Administrative Centres and Capitals of 16 Mahajanpadas such as Rajgriha, Sravasti, and Ujjain etc. acted as the base of the 2nd period of urbanisation in India.
(ii) Political Patronage: The patronage given by the political class to heterodox sect such as Buddhism and Jainism provided for peaceful society and growth of new class such as Sethis and Gahapatis which promoted the process of urbanisation.
(4) Technological Factors:
(i) Use of Iron Technology: Iron played a crucial role in opening the rain fed forested, hard-soil area of the middle Ganga basin to clearance, cultivation and settlement. (Eg. A large number of iron tools and implements have been found from Ujjain, Sravasti and Hastinapur).
(ii) Technique of Wet Paddy Cultivation/Paddy Transplantation:
Increase in Yield: Paddy transplantation or wet paddy production enormously added to the yield. The yield per acres in wet rice cultivation is substantially higher than those of wheat or millet in traditional agriculture.
Shift to Wet Rice Cultivation: It has been observed that varieties of rice and paddy fields are repeatedly mentioned in the early Buddhist texts. This indicates a decisive shift to wet rice cultivation.
Food Security Led to Sustainment of Large Population: Larger food production made it possible to sustain increased population, which is reflected in an increase in the number of settlements in the archaeological records of this period.
Conclusion:
Urbanization continued to flourish during the Mauryan and post-Mauryan periods, reaching its peak during the period between 200 BC and 300 AD, often referred to as the “golden age” of craft, trade, coinage, money lending, and urban development.
