Social Structure

We can present a rough picture of the

social structure that developed in this period. Society was dominated by

princes and priests. The princes claimed the status of brahmanas or kshatriyas

though many of them were local tribal chiefs promoted to the second varna

through benefactions made to the priests. The priests invented respectable

family trees for these chiefs and traced their descent from age old solar and

lunar dynasties, This process enabled the new rulers to acquire legitimacy in

the eyes of the people.

The priests were mainly brahmanas, though

the Jaina and Buddhist monks should also be placed in this category. In this

phase priests gained in influence and authority because of land grants. Below

the princes and priests came the peasantry, which was divided into numerous

peasant castes. Possibly most of them were called sutras in the brahmamcal

system. If the peasant and artisan castes failed to produce and render services

and payments, it was looked upon as a departure from the established dharma or

norm

Such a situation was described as the age

of Kali. It was the duty of the king to put an end to such a state pf affairs

and restore peace and order which worked in favor of chiefs and priests. The

title dhamamaharaja therefore is adopted by the Vakataka, Pallava, Kadamba and

Western Ganga kings. The real founder of the Pallava power, Simhavarman, is

credited with coming to the rescue of dharma when it was beset with the evil

attributes typical of the Kahyuga, Apparently it refers to his suppression of

the Kalabhras who upset the existing social order

India’s Cultural Contacts with the Asian Countries

Medieval lawgivers and commentators

ordained that a person should not cross the seas. This would imply that India

shunned all relations with the outside world. But this is not so, for India

maintained contacts with its Asian neighbors since Harappan times. Indian

traders went to the cities of Mesopotamia, where their seals belonging to the

period between 2400 B.C. and 1700 B.C have been found.

From the beginning of the Christian era

India maintained commercial contacts with China, Southeast Asia, West Asia and

the Roman Empire. We have seen how the Indian land routes were connected with

the Chinese Silk Route. We have also dwelt on India’s commercial intercourse

with the eastern part of the Roman Empire. In addition to this India sent its

missionaries, conquerors and traders to the neighboring countries where they

founded settlements.