The Rise of Agrarian Polity: Telangana Through First Millennium Ce

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Dendukuri Nagamani has done her Masters (1989) and M.phil (1990) in History from Central University, Hyderabad. She was awarded UGC fellowship (1991) for research studies. She attended national and international seminars. Presented papers at various academic forums. Authored book Bronzes of Andhradesa (2024) and co-edited a festschrift titled Niranjana in honour of eminent historian Dr. S. Nagaraju. Present book is based on her Doctoral thesis on the Agrarian Structure of Telangana submitted to the University of Mumbai (2022).

Telangana - the region of present study in central Deccan is defined here in terms of its historical personality that had evolved through the epochs of history. The geography of the region is practically agrarian as reflected in its physical, human and ecological personality. It is indeed fascinating to study how the early farmers of this region could cope with the crop moisture requirements and have a sustained practice of agriculture. It is important to note that, the agrarian activity could survive the political vicissitudes. The study, thus tries to locate the crucial links between the rural administration and the state apparatus held through an organised system of grants of land, money, commodities, and revenue sanctions. Present endeavour is towards understanding the rise of agrarian polity through the documents of history. The early historic to the early medieval period was defining in terms of evolving regional personalities and patterns of interaction as most of the politico-economic activity was extended over the resource potential areas. The period also marks the processes of integration of the geo- political identities. The various records of the period testify to this constant negotiation towards agrarian expansion. By the turn of the first millennium CE, the agrarian power comes to assume a defining role as we can see the continued absorption of the occupational groups into decision making process and relative autonomy of the village structures and a steady rise of power groups firmly based in the agrarian milieu.

Telangana - the region of present study forms a larger part of the Deccan platenu. It is defined bere in terms of its broader historical personality that had evolved through epochs of history, The concept of Telangana as a geographical expression is a culmination of these historical processes. The geography of the region is practically agrarian as reflected in its physical, human and ecological disposition. Present endeavour is towards understanding the agrarian structure of the region through its geography and documents of history It is indeed fascinating to study how the early farmers of this part of country could cope with the crop moisture requirements to have a sustained practice of agriculture. Most of the agrarian practices of Telangana represent trends of continuity from antiquarian past, and in a way, the region still lives its history The early historical data emerge from stratigraphic layers through excavations and explorations and give tangible evidences of the human societies relatively earlier than the historic times that we are presently concerned with. The societies, as they become conglomerates of substantive production activity, manifest complex economies and political organisations. In the Central Deccan, archaeological data is emphatic about continued settlement cultures that exhibit traits of organized socio-political activity. As the written records become more expressive, the documents arrive from power groups implying an organized effort to weild control over human and material resources. Present study tries to place these documents at particular historical junctures in the agrarian resource milieu of Telangana in the pre-kakatiya contexts. The diverse nature of agricultural practices among the regions of Telangana emphasise primacy of geo-ecological factors. There cannot be a simplistic classification of these regions as they are marked by geographical dissimilarities. Yet, there were complex networks of economic activities employed at different historical junctures among these regions. It was the economy (sthithi) and the structural apparatus (vyavastha) that were in conversation trying to maximise the gains of subsistence techniques while the geographical factors were reflected in socio-economic settings. In this way, agrarian structure of any period in history should be understood as an inclusive term in which, we can study all possible forms of production based on land. Agrarian studies, being the hasis of any definite goo-historical entity, can help us understand the cultural personality of regions Native patterns of regional economy have their own peculiar contributions to the evolution of various socio-economic structures on which the political and administrative edifices were reflected. Hence, the study of various aspects of regional economy becomes important. The study thus, tries to locate the crucial links berween the land resources, rural administration and the state apparatus. It was held through an organised system of grants of land, money, commodities, and revenue sanctions. Agrarian studies help understand the basis of any definite geo-historical entity, they also help appreciate the cultural personality of the regions. The first Millennium (early historic to the early medieval period) was defining in terms of evolved regional personalities and patterns of their interaction. The period also marks the processes of integration of these geo-political identities (Chattopadhyaya, B.D.1994, Chakrabarti, Dilip. K:1983). The available historical material suggests a multiplicity of economic activities based on agriculture. Being a very important activity, agriculture gave rise to settlements that further given way for the emergence of market economy and trade centres, The first millennium in Telangana marks growth of villages both in numerical as well as spatial terms. The village units come to assume unique identities and the process of their expansion was visibly significant under different powers of control. Nilakanta Sastri aptly uses the term 'agencies that were determined by 'historical causes to define structural apparatus performing various functions in historical contexts. (Sastri, K.A. Nilakanta: in Yazdani Rp.2012:236). It is important to note that, the agrarian activity of the region could survive these political vicissitudes. The agrarian potential areas of Telangana, through the epochs of history, emerged as regional centres of concerted politico-administrative activity. Most of the politico-economic activity of Telangana was extended over the resource potential areas. Due to its large scale dependence on rainfall, special efforts were to be made for irrigation to thrive. This caused adoption of water preservation methods through tank or reservoir construction. The flat stretches on Deccan plateau, the alluvial ribbons of river terraces and flood plains with re-deposited regur are better irrigated with tanks or wells. The irrigation methods of Telangana reflect its geo-climatic limitations. It is said that no other part in the world is so extensively dependent on monsoon as that of Deccan (Simkins; 1926:24). Irrigation was emphasised in history of Telangana in the eulogies written about tanks. Hill forts of Bhuvanagiri, Rachakonda and Devarakonda were identified as water shed zones in which water was stored both for drinking as well as irrigational purposes. Western Deccan was essentially a place of tanks - some natural, other artificial or partly artificial, with catchment basins of local character, and river channels emanating from rivers or tributaries of Krishna and Godavari (HAS: 18:13). The Korapolu inscription of Mahamandaleswara Pampa eulogises the construction of one such great tank (MK:46). Subsequently, the Kakatiyas were champions of ever lasting irrigational enterprise as Bayyyaram and Pakala reservoirs still stand as the testimonies. As the tanks were built and conserved as a politico-social enterprise through epochs of history, they come to form part of the distinct landscapes of the region.