MAYANK KUMAR
Fulbright Fellow at Decision Centre for Desert City, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. 2009-10
Fellow, Nehru memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, 2010-2012
UGC-Research Award (Post-Doctoral Fellowship) 2014-16
Formely, Professor, Satyawati College (Evening) Delhi University, Delhi,
Supervisors: Prof. Dilbagh Singh and Prof. GSL Devra
Fellow, Nehru memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, 2010-2012
UGC-Research Award (Post-Doctoral Fellowship) 2014-16
Formely, Professor, Satyawati College (Evening) Delhi University, Delhi,
Supervisors: Prof. Dilbagh Singh and Prof. GSL Devra
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Papers by MAYANK KUMAR
The nature of documentation is very intriguing in the sense that it represents a well defined system of ‘record keeping’. These documents allow possibility of accessing the information at much later date and could be used to fix accountability of the concerned official. These records could be referred to as precedence to be followed in subsequent cases of similar nature. It is not being suggested that it undermined the supreme authority of the king to pronounce judgments or deliver justice. His will was still the ultimate verdict, but documents like Sanad Parwana Bahi and Hasil Farohi section of Arsatta indicate that these documents institutionalized the ways and methods to be followed by local authorities in arbitration of a dispute. Institutionalization of process of dispute resolution seems to be an important marker of early modern era.
Present paper, on the closer examination of documentation available for 17th to 19th century Rajasthan, makes an attempt to examine three markers of early modern era. First and foremost paper argues that there seems to be a gradual but continuous effort by the ruling dynasties to establish their claim over commons. Extensive documentation of landscape and natural resources greatly enhanced the capacity of the central power to curtail the claims of feudatories in particular and leverage available with peasantry in general. Secondly, this kind of documentation also helped central power to augment their revenue. Greater appropriation of revenue through variety of taxes on variety of commodities resulted in availability of greater surplus with the ruling dynasties and resulted in creation of centrally appointed institutions of governance.
Resolution of disputes especially pertaining to matrimonial discords defines another very significant marker of early modern era. Disputes vary from very mundane discords in the family like disobeying the wishes of the elders of the family to cases of adultery and forced widow remarriages. What is interesting to note that these documents suggest that the system of redress was institutionalized to the extent that even a female of a lower caste can approach the institutions created for the purpose and monitored and maintained by the central powers. Thus this paper will make an effort to identify few markers of early modern era as manifested in the apparatus of governance.
Changing concerns of state can also be seen.
The nature of documentation is very intriguing in the sense that it represents a well defined system of ‘record keeping’. These documents allow possibility of accessing the information at much later date and could be used to fix accountability of the concerned official. These records could be referred to as precedence to be followed in subsequent cases of similar nature. It is not being suggested that it undermined the supreme authority of the king to pronounce judgments or deliver justice. His will was still the ultimate verdict, but documents like Sanad Parwana Bahi and Hasil Farohi section of Arsatta indicate that these documents institutionalized the ways and methods to be followed by local authorities in arbitration of a dispute. Institutionalization of process of dispute resolution seems to be an important marker of early modern era.
Present paper, on the closer examination of documentation available for 17th to 19th century Rajasthan, makes an attempt to examine three markers of early modern era. First and foremost paper argues that there seems to be a gradual but continuous effort by the ruling dynasties to establish their claim over commons. Extensive documentation of landscape and natural resources greatly enhanced the capacity of the central power to curtail the claims of feudatories in particular and leverage available with peasantry in general. Secondly, this kind of documentation also helped central power to augment their revenue. Greater appropriation of revenue through variety of taxes on variety of commodities resulted in availability of greater surplus with the ruling dynasties and resulted in creation of centrally appointed institutions of governance.
Resolution of disputes especially pertaining to matrimonial discords defines another very significant marker of early modern era. Disputes vary from very mundane discords in the family like disobeying the wishes of the elders of the family to cases of adultery and forced widow remarriages. What is interesting to note that these documents suggest that the system of redress was institutionalized to the extent that even a female of a lower caste can approach the institutions created for the purpose and monitored and maintained by the central powers. Thus this paper will make an effort to identify few markers of early modern era as manifested in the apparatus of governance.
Changing concerns of state can also be seen.