Terminology Flashcards
Ancient and Medieval History India
What is Agrahara?
Land or village gifted by a king
Who are the Alvars?
The Vaishnava saint-poets of early medieval South India
What is Apabhramsha?
later Prakrit language
up to the end of the 1st millennium CE
Define Aranyakas
Literally ‘forest books’; part of the Vedic corpus
What are Abwab?
Extra legal charges exacted by landlords
What does an “Akhra” refer to?
Gymnasium
Who is an Amil?
Revenue official
Who is an “Amla”?
Zamindari official
Who are the Ajlaf?
Muslim commoners
What is an Atrap?
Muslim commoners—same as ajlaf
What are Azad dastas?
Guerrilla bands
What is the role of Amils?
Revenue officers
What is Arz-I-Mamalik?
Minister in-charge of the army of the whole country
Define Ahl-I-Qalam
Reporter
What are Aham/Agam?
Sangam love poems
What are Amphorae?
A type of Roman pottery—jars with a large oval body, narrow cylindrical neck, and two handles
What is Antarala?
The vestibule or antechamber of a temple
Define Anvikshiki
Literally, ‘looking at’; logical reasoning
What is an “Araghatta”?
A Persian water-wheel used in irrigation in Medieval India
What is Ardhamagadhi?
An eastern dialect of Prakrit; the earliest Jaina texts are written in this dialect
What is Ardhamandapa?
The hall preceding the sanctum in a temple
Define “Arhat/Arahant”
A person who has attained enlightenment
What are the Ariya-sachchani?
The Four Noble Truths related to suffering; an important part of the Buddha’s teaching
What are Astika schools?
Philosophical schools that accepted the authority of the Vedas, comprising the six classical systems of Hindu philosophy
Who were the Ayyavole?
A powerful merchant guild of early medieval South India
What is an “Aurang”?
A Warehouse in Persian
What is Bhikkhu Pali?
Literally ‘one who lives by begging alms’; a Buddhist monk
Define Brahmacharya
The stage of celibate studenthood in the Ashrama scheme
What is Brahmadeya?
Land gifted to Brahmanas, generally by kings
What does Baqqal mean?
Trader, grain-dealer
What is Batai?
Division of crop between the cultivator and landlord or the government; payments may be in kind or cash
Who is a Barid?
An intelligence officer appointed by the State to collect information (during the Delhi Sultanate)
What does Banjar refer to?
Waste and fallow land
Who are “Banjaras”?
A nomadic people from AFGHANISTAN that speak Gor Boli/Lambadi
Found in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
What is a Bahas?
Muslim religious meeting
What is Bakasht?
Land where permanent tenancies have been converted into short-term tenancies
Define Bodhisattva
A future Buddha
What is Boustrephedon style?
A style of writing in which consecutive lines start in opposite directions
What is a “Burin”?
A small stone tool, made on a blade, with a ‘screw-driver’ edge
Who is a “Banian”?
A Merchant engaged by a Western merchant to work for them as a borker, interpreter and agent.
Who is a “Bara Balutedar”?
A hereditary system of village servants prevalent in villages of medieval Maharashtra. The Balutedars were paid through a barter system using village produce
What does Chakri mean?
Office job
What is a Cairn stone circle?
A type of megalithic burial, marked by a stone circle
What is a Chaitya?
A Buddhist shrine
Define Charana
School of Vedic study
What is the “Charvaka” or “Lokayata” school of philosophy?
- An atheistic materialist philosophical school from the post-Upanishadic period (600-400 B.C.E.).
- It believed that only perceivable matter exists, and there are no supernatural entities or planes of existence.
- It rejects the Vedas and the concept of reincarnation.
- Emphasizes sensory perception (Pratyaksa) as the primary source of knowledge.
What are Cowries?
Marine shells, once used as currency in many parts of the world
What does Chaouth or Chauthaai refer to?
One-fourth of the land revenue, originally a zamindari charge in Gujrat demanded by Shivaji as a war expense
What is Charai?
A tax on cattle
What does Dadan mean?
Advance
Who were the “Dadani”?
Merchants who procured goods by paying advances to primary producers
What is a “Dalam”?
A Revolutionary unit
Who is a Dalwai?
Prime minister of the Mysore state
What is a Dastak?
Permits issued by the local councils of the East India Company certifying their goods for the purpose of tax exemption
Who was a Deshpande?
Revenue collector
What does Deshmukh mean?
Revenue officer
What does Dikhu mean?
Foreigner; term used by the tribals (San-thals) to identify outsiders
Define Dakshinapatha
The great southern trade route
What is Dana?
Ritual giving
What does Darshana refer to?
Literally, ‘view’; philosophy
What is Dhamma?
A Pali word (Sanskrit, dharma), referring to the ideal conduct of an individual living in society
What is Dhamma Chakka-pavattana?
Literally ‘turning the wheel of dhamma’; the Buddha’s first sermon in the deer park near Benaras
What are Dhamma-mahamatas?
A new cadre of officials created by Ashoka to propagate dhamma
Define Dvija
Literally ‘twice born’; those entitled to the performance of the upanayana (sacred thread) ceremony
What is the Dagh System?
A system of branding of horses and animals
What is Dame?
A copper coin considered as 1/40 of the silver rupee for official purposes
What does Dastur-At-Amal refer to?
Rule book
Who is a Dhimmi?
A non-Muslim client or subject
What is Darul Mulk?
Capital
What does Diwan refer to?
Function of finance
What is Diwan-I-Arz?
Ministry of military affairs
What is Diwan-I-Insha?
Ministry of royal correspondence
Who is a Diwan-I-Kul Wazir?
Chief imperial fiscal minister
What does Daroga mean?
Minor officer or in charge of local office
What is Diwan-I-Risalat?
Ministry of religious affairs
What does Diwan-I-Wizarat refer to?
Department of finance
What is a Faujdar?
In charge of Sarkar
What does Fitna mean?
Sedition
What are Fituris?
A tradition of tribal rebellion
What are the Four Noble Truths (Ariya-sachchani)?
An important part of the Buddha’s teaching: there is suffering; it has a cause; it can be eliminated; the way to eliminate it is to follow the Eight-fold Path
What is Gumashta?
An agent or representative
What is Garbha-Griha?
The inner sanctum of a temple, where the image of the main deity is placed and worshipped
What does Grihastha refer to?
The householder stage in the Ashrama scheme
What is Ghatwali?
Service tenure for village watchmen
What are Giras?
Customary dues
What is Gomustah?
Indian agent of the East India Company
What is Gahapati?
Pali for Sanskrit grihapati, i.e., householder; a wealthy property-owner
What does Gana mean?
A word which has many meanings, including an oligarchy
What is Garbha-griha?
The inner sanctum of a temple, where the image of the main deity is placed and worshipped
What is Grantha script?
A South Indian script used for writing Sanskrit
What is Ganj?
A grain market
What is a Hun?
A gold coin
What does Hamam refer to?
A room for the bath of hot and cold water
What is a Hundi?
A bill of exchange
What are Hundikas?
Bills of exchange used by traders in early medieval India
What is Ibadat Khana?
House of worship
What is Iqta?
The land-grant system adopted by Ala-Ud-Din Khilji to grant his officers as reward for services rendered
What does Khalisa mean?
Land revenue directly for imperial treasury
What does Khots refer to?
Village head
What is Khums?
Tax on plunder
What is Khutba?
A sermon made in Friday mosque
Define Janapada
Literally, ‘foothold of a tribe’; a territorial state; a region consisting of urban and rural settlements, along with its inhabitants
What are Jatakas?
One of the 15 books of the Khuddaka Nikaya, containing stories of the previous births of the Buddha
What is the “Jajmani System” of North India?
Traditional Hindu system of economic exchange between upper and lower castes. Lower castes performed services in exchange for grain/money from upper castes.
Who is a Jina?
Literally ‘victor’; a Jaina saint
What is Jama?
Estimated land revenue income
Who is a Janmi?
Holder of janmam tenure
Who are Jatha(s)?
Sikh bands of warriors
What is Jatra?
Rural theatrical performance
What are Jotedar(s)?
Intermediary tenure holders
What is Jamabandi?
Settlement of the amount of revenue assessed upon an estate or district
What is Jarib?
Measurement, land measurement or survey
What does Jihat mean?
Extra cesses
What is Jizya?
(A) Any tax which is not Kharai or land tax (B) A personal and yearly tax on non-Muslims
What are Ikrarnamas?
Contractual obligations imposed on the Bundela chiefs by the EIC to suppress their resistance.
What is Kankut?
Estimation of land revenue
Who is a Karori?
A revenue officer
What is Khirai?
Land revenue
What does Kula refer to?
A word with a range of meanings, including an extended patrilineal family
What is a Kanamdar/Kanak?
Holder of kanam tenure
Who are Khanazad?
Hereditary Muslim aristocrats in the Mughal court
What are Khudkasht(s)?
Peasants with occupancy rights
What is Khutba?
Friday prayers in the mosque
Who are Kulin?
Some castes among the Brahmans and Kayasthas of Bengal who are considered to be the purest
What are Kani rights?
Rights over land in early medieval South India, sometimes also associated with certain duties and obligations
What are Kara-shasanas?
Tax-paying agraharas
What is Kottam?
Settlement clusters in the Pallava kingdom, similar to the nadus
What does Kshatra mean?
Secular power
Who is a Kshatrapa?
A viceroy or subordinate ruler of the Scytho-Parthians
What is Linga?
A phallic emblem of the God Shiva
What is Lokayata?
An atheistic materialist philosophical school, also known as Charvaka
What is Madad-I-Massh?
Tax free grants of land
What does Malfuzat mean?
Sayings of Sufi saint
What is a Mamluk?
White slaves
Who is Mir Bhakshi?
Head of the Military department
Who is a Mir Saman?
Officer in charge of Royal Karkhanas
Who is a Muquaddam?
Village head
What is Mahal?
A group of land regarded as a unit for land revenue purposes
What is Mansab?
A military rank conferred by the Mughal emperor
What is Mauza?
Revenue term for village
What is Mokasa?
Grant of land for military service, rent-free land
What is Madhayamaka?
A major Mahayana school founded by Nagarjuna, in which the idea of Shunyata (emptiness) is of great importance
What are Mahajanapadas?
The great states of the 6th century BCE
What is Mahakshatrapa?
Viceroy, subordinate ruler; a title assumed by some kings of the Kshaharata and Kardamaka dynasties
What does Mahayana mean?
Literally ‘the greater vehicle’; a set of Buddhist schools
What is Mandapika?
A local centre of exchange, in between small periodic markets and larger trade centres
What is Manigramam?
A powerful merchant guild of early medieval South India
What is Matha?
Monastery
What is Moksha?
Liberation from the cycle of birth and death
Who is a Masand?
A deputy of the Sikh guru
What is Mulgujar?
Landholding primary zamindar
What are Meli(s)?
Anti-feudal demonstrations
Who is a Mirasidar?
Under the Ryotwari system, Mirasidars were land owners/sole proprietors
What are Misls?
Combinations of Sikh sardars based on kinship ties
What is Mofussil?
Small town or subdivisional town
What is Muktiyar Namah?
Power of attorney
What is Mushaira?
Public recital
Who are “Muttadars”?
Estate holders
What is a Menhir?
A type of megalithic burial, marked by a single, large, standing stone
What are Mithuna figures?
Amorous couples that occur in sculptural decoration of shrines
What is Mukhamandapa?
The porch of a temple
What does Nabud mean?
Remission of land revenue on account of natural disasters
What is the Nagara Style?
The northern style of temple architecture, marked by a curvilinear shikara (tower)
What are Nagarams?
Market or commercial centres in early medieval South India
What is Nagarattar?
The organization of the Nagaram
What is Northern Black Polished Ware (NBP or NBPW)?
A distinctive type of fine pottery with a glossy surface, made and used between c. 700 and 200 BCE (Iron Age- Later Vedic period - Mahajanapadas)
Succeeds the Painted Grey Ware Culture
What is Nakdi Mansabdar?
Mansabdars who were paid in cash
What is Nankar?
Revenue free land
What is Nadu?
The locality, consisting of several settlements, in early medieval South India
What is Nagarakkani?
Land owned and managed by the nagaram
What is Nalayira Divya Prabandham?
A work by Nathamuni, containing the hymns of the Alvar saints
Who are Nattar?
The leading men of the nadu (locality) in early medieval South India
What is Nibbana?
A term used often in the Buddhist tradition for liberation from the cycle of birth and death
What is Nitishastra?
Sanskrit works on statecraft
What is Niyoga?
Levirate; the ancient custom of a widow cohabiting with her brother-in-law or another man in order to produce sons
What is Nyaya?
A philosophical school concerned primarily with logic and epistemology
What does Ochre Coloured refer to?
Color description, often associated with certain artifacts or materials
What does ‘Nattar’ refer to in early medieval South India?
The leading men of the nadu (locality)
What is ‘Nibbana’ in the Buddhist tradition?
Liberation from the cycle of birth and death
Define ‘Nitishastra’.
Sanskrit works on statecraft
What is ‘Niyoga’?
The ancient custom of a widow cohabiting with her brother-in-law or another man to produce sons
What philosophical school is ‘Nyaya’ concerned with?
Logic and epistemology
What is ‘Ochre Coloured Pottery’ (OCP)?
A Protohistoric Pottery Type Found At Several Sites In The Doab
What does ‘Paibaqi’ refer to?
Land Reserved For Allotment In Jagir
What is ‘Polai’ in terms of land use?
Land Continuously In Cultivation
Define ‘Painted Grey Ware’ (PGW).
A distinctive type of fine, grey pottery with designs painted on in black, made and used in parts of North India between c. 1000 and 500 BCE
What are ‘Paramitas’ in Mahayana Buddhism?
Perfections Whose Attainment Led To The Bodhisattva Path
What are ‘Pariharas’?
Exemptions and privileges granted to donees in royal land grants
What does ‘Parinibbana’ signify?
The Passing Away Of The Buddha
Who are ‘Pahikasht(s)’?
Vagrant Peasants
What does ‘Patadar(s)’ mean?
Landowners
Define ‘Patil’.
Village headmen
What does ‘Podu’ refer to in the Andhra region?
A tribal term for shifting cultivation
What is ‘Pali’?
An ancient language belonging to the Indo-European family; the language of the canon of the Theravada school
What does ‘Paribbajaka’ mean in Pali?
Literally, ‘wanderer’, renunciant
What is ‘Patichcha-samuppada’ in Buddhist teachings?
The law of dependent origination
What is ‘Periyapuranam’?
A 12th century work containing hagiographies of the Nayanmar saints
What is ‘Prakrit’?
An ancient language belonging to the Indo-European family with various dialects such as Maharashtri, Shauraseni, and Magadhi
What are ‘Pramanas’?
Grounds of knowledge
Define ‘Prashasti’.
Panegyric- Inscriptions composed by poets in praise of their rulers
What does ‘Pravara’ refer to?
Names of supposed ancestral rishis, connected with the gotra system of the Brahmanas
What are ‘Puram’?
War poems of the Sangam corpus
What is a ‘Pargana’?
Around Hundred Village
What does ‘Qanungos’ refer to?
Caretaker Of Revenue Records
What are ‘Risalas’?
Units of the army of Haidar Ali of Mysore
What does ‘Sabha’ mean in the Chola period?
Assembly Of Brahmins
Who is a ‘Sadr Us Sadur’?
Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs
Define ‘Sarkar’.
Administrative Unit Or Units Of Paragana
What are ‘Shaikhzadas’?
Indian Muslims Nobility
What does ‘Sharia’ refer to?
Muslim Law
What is a ‘Shiqdar’?
Head Of Administrative Unit
What does ‘Sandhar’ mean?
Loans
What are ‘Subas’?
Provinces
What is ‘Sabha’ in Vedic texts?
A tribal assembly or the assembly of a Brahmana village
Define ‘Samana’.
A Pali word meaning ‘one who strives’, a renunciant
What is a ‘Samanta’?
Subordinate Ruler; Feudatory
What does ‘Samhita’ refer to?
A Collection Of Hymns, Associated With The Vedas
What are ‘Samskaras’?
Rituals marking important life stages
What does ‘Sandhara’ signify?
A Temple Style With An Enclosed Passage For Circumambulation
What is ‘Shruti’?
Literally ‘that which has been heard’, The Veda
What does ‘Shvetambara’ refer to in Jainism?
Literally ‘white-clad’, a Jaina Sect
What is ‘Smriti’?
Texts; a category of Sanskrit texts that includes the Vedangas, Puranas, Epics, Dharmashastras, and Nitishastra
Define ‘Stridhana’.
‘women’s wealth’; various types of moveable property given to a woman on various occasions during her life-time
What does ‘Syadavada’ mean?
Literally ‘doctrine of maybe’; the Jaina doctrine of the partial nature of all statements about reality
Who are ‘Sahajdharis’?
Non-khalsa Sikhs
What is a ‘Sahukar’?
Moneylender
What are ‘Sajjad Nisbins’?
Custodians of sufi shrines
What does ‘Sanad’ refer to?
Mughal imperial order
What is ‘Saranjam’?
Transferable land rights
What is ‘Sawar’ in the Mughal military context?
A numerical rank indicating the number of horsemen they were supposed to maintain
What does ‘Sharif’ mean?
Respectable Muslim
What is the meaning of ‘Sud’ in the Choto Nagpur region?
A tribal term for foreigners
What is ‘Swaraj Ziladish’?
Independent district magistrate
What does ‘Samkhya’ explain?
The world as consisting of two fundamental categories: purusha (the spiritual principle) and prakriti (matter or nature)
What is ‘Sangam literature’?
Texts in old Tamil, comprising the earliest parts of the Ettutokai, Pattuppattu and Tolkappiyam
What does ‘Sangha’ refer to?
Oligarchy, the Buddhist monastic order, and the Jaina monastic order
What is ‘Sannyasa’?
The stage of complete renunciation in the ashrama scheme
What are ‘Sapindas’?
People related to each other, important in discussions on marriage and inheritance
Define ‘Saptanga rajya’.
The seven-limbed state, the Arthashastra concept of the state consisting of seven elements
What is ‘Setthi’?
A high-level businessman associated with trade and money-lending
What is ‘Shakha’?
A school of Vedas - Hindu Theological school
What is ‘Siddhamatrika’?
An ancient script known from the 6th century CE; also known as Kutila
What does ‘Tevaram’ refer to?
A collection of hymns, part of the canon of South Indian Shaiva Bhakti
What is ‘Tipitaka’?
Buddhist canonical texts; the Pali Tipitaka is the canon of the Theravada school
What does ‘Triratna’ refer to in Jainism?
The Triple Path of Right Faith, Knowledge, and Conduct
What is ‘Tankha Jagir’?
Hereditary possessions of the Rajput chiefs under the Mughals
What are ‘Tufan dal(s)’?
Revolutionary village units
What is ‘Taniyur’?
A special status given to certain brahmadeyas in early medieval South India
Define ‘Terra sigilatta’.
Moulded, decorated wares made in Italy or imitations thereof
What is ‘Tirthankara’ in Jainism?
Literally, ‘ford builder’; a Jaina saint
What does ‘Tirumurai’ refer to?
The canon of South Indian Shaiva bhakti
What is ‘Tiruttondar-Tiruvantai’?
A work giving a short hagiography of the Nayanar saints
What is ‘Tiruttondar-Tokai’?
A work listing 62 Nayanmar saints
What does ‘Torana’ refer to?
The gateway of a shrine
What are ‘Transepts’ in megalithic tombs?
Vertical stone slabs that divide a megalithic chamber tomb into sections
What is ‘Tankah’?
Silver Coin
Who are ‘Ulama’?
Muslim priests
What does ‘Ummah’ mean?
Community based on allegiance to the common Islamic faith
What is ‘Utar’?
Forced labour
What is ‘Ur’?
A non-brahmadeya village of South India; the corporate assembly of such a village
What does ‘Upasaka’ mean in Buddhist context?
A male lay follower of the Buddha’s teaching
What is ‘Vanaprastha’?
The stage of partial renunciation in the ashrama scheme
What does ‘Varaha’ signify?
The Boar Incarnation Of The God Vishnu
What does ‘Varna’ literally mean?
Colour; the concept of four hereditary classes—Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, And Shudra
What is ‘Varna-Samkara’?
The mixture of varnas due to inter-varna unions
What is ‘Vassavasa’?
The Monsoon Retreat Of Buddhist Monks
What does ‘Vesara’ refer to in temple architecture?
A style of temple architecture blending Nagara and Dravida styles
What is a ‘Vihara’?
A Buddhist monastery
What does ‘Vimana’ refer to in temple architecture?
The sanctum of a temple and its superstructure
What is a ‘Viragal’?
A ‘hero stone’ in the Tamil Nadu area
What is ‘Vishnuism’ (Vaishnavism)?
The worship of Vishnu as a supreme god
What does ‘Vatan’ signify?
Hereditary land rights
What is ‘Vaisheshika’?
A philosophical school of pluralistic realism
What is ‘Vatteluttu’?
An ancient South Indian script used for writing Tamil
Who are the ‘Velir’?
Chiefs of South India
What does ‘Vellala/vellalar’ refer to?
Cultivating groups of South India
What are ‘Vellanvagai’?
Non-brahmadeya villages of early medieval South India
Who are the ‘Vendar’?
The three ‘crowned kings’ of early historical South India, i.e., the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas
What is ‘Waqf’?
Grants to Muslim religious establishments
What does ‘Watandar’ refer to?
Desais and Deskmukh
What is ‘Wilayat’?
Spiritual territory of a Sufi
What does ‘Yajamana’ mean?
The person for whom the yajna (sacrifice) is performed and who bears its expenses
Who are the ‘Yakshas’?
Deities associated with water, fertility, trees, forests, and the wilderness
Who are the ‘Yakshis’?
Female deities associated with fertility, consorts of yakshas
What does ‘Yavana’ refer to?
Greeks, foreigners from the West
What is ‘Yogachara’?
A major Mahayana school emphasizing meditation
What is a ‘Yupa’?
Sacrificial post
What is ‘Yajna’?
Sacrifice
What are ‘Yakshas’ known for?
Deities associated with water, fertility, trees, forests, and the wilderness
What are ‘Yakshis’ known for?
Female deities associated with fertility, consorts of yakshas
What does ‘Zabt’ refer to?
Revenue based on land measurement
What are ‘Zawabit’?
Non-Shariat state laws
Who are ‘Zimmis’?
Protected non-Muslims
What is ‘Zenana’?
The women’s quarter in the inner part of the house
What does ‘Zillah’ refer to?
Administrative District
