1) Why this module is asked (PYQ alignment)
CUET PG commonly tests village economy and society through:
- statement-based questions on:
- brahmadeya and land grants
- role of temples in local economy
- social stratification and service obligations
- irrigation and agrarian surplus
- match-the-following (term → meaning)
- conceptual questions on how agrarian structures support state power.
This module builds conceptual clarity around:
- how production was organized
- how surplus moved (taxes, endowments, redistribution)
- how social hierarchy functioned in everyday village life.
2) Agrarian base: land, irrigation, and surplus
Land as the core resource
In Chola countryside:
- land is the primary source of wealth and political power
- control over land = control over surplus = capacity for armies and temples
Irrigation systems (high-yield)
South India’s agrarian stability is strongly linked with:
- tanks (eris)
- channels and wells (context-dependent) Irrigation management required:
- collective labor
- specialized committees (eri-variyam)
- dispute resolution mechanisms.
Analytical point Irrigation is not only “technology”; it is a social institution—it organizes labor, authority, and hierarchy.
3) Types of villages and landholding patterns (exam-friendly)
(A) Brahmadeya villages
- land grants to Brahmanas
- often associated with sabha assemblies
- become nodes of Sanskritic ritual authority and administrative documentation
(B) Non-brahmadeya villages
- general villages with ur assemblies
- production tied to local agrarian cycles and tax obligations