UPSC Prelims Special - Most Important Terms from Medieval Indian History

Terms Used for Coins

Coin	Dynasty/Period	Material
Tangka	Mughal Empire	Silver
Dam	Medieval India	Copper
Rupiya	Mughal Empire	Silver
Tanka	Medieval India	Gold
Jital	Delhi Sultanate/ Medieval India	Copper
Gadyana	Chola dynasty	Gold
Dinara	Gupta Empire/ Medieval India	Gold
Pana	Medieval India	Silver
Dinar	Delhi Sultanate/ Medieval India	Gold
Kasu	South Indian kingdoms	Gold

Important Terms to note from Chola Empire

Terms	Meaning/Function
Valandu	District
Nattuppadai	The militiamen employed only for local defense
Taniyur	A very large village administrated as a single unit
Nadu/Kurram/Kottam	Group of villages
Kummanachcheri	Artisans’ quarters
Anjuvanam	Foreign merchant organization
Udankuttam	Higher officers
Salabhoga	Tenures meant for educational purposes
Valanjiyar	Merchant guild
Mahasabha	Gathering of the adult men in the Brahmana villages which were called agraharas.
Upper Perundanam and Lower Sirudanam	Two ranks of officers who tended to form a separate class in the society
Nanadesis	Merchant guilds having a wide network
Manigramam	Great Nagaram
Tankurrams	Autonomous administration for towns and townships
Vellala	Agriculturists
Kaikkolar	The royal troops, including infantry, cavalry, elephant corps, and navy, received regular payment from the treasury.
Variyar	Reporters appointed by the sabha
Alunganattar	Executive Committee
Mandalam	Province
Ur	General assembly of the village
Shashak Gana or Ganam	The members of the executive committee of Ur
Jivitas	Land
Puravuvaritinaikalam	Department of land revenue
Paracheri	The outcastes hamlet
Sudugadu	The burning ground
Kadagams	Cantonments

Important Terms to note from Vijayanagar Empire

Terms	Meaning/Function
Mahanayakacharya	An officer and the contact point between the villages and the Central administration.
Gramas	Villages
Gauda	Village headman
Matikaratalu or Vaishyas	Merchants who carried on trade and commerce.
Nalavajativaru or Sudras	Mainly agriculturists, but some of them carried on several other professions.
Sthalas	Sub-districts
Nadus	Districts
Rajulu or rachavaru	Assisting the ruling dynasty in matters of state and warfare, this group was typically affiliated with the royal family. Although the rulers and generals were originally Sudras, they were referred to as rachavaru due to their position.
Mandalams or rajyas	Provinces
Viprulu	Brahmins followed the traditional profession of teachers and priests.
Sist	Land tax
Varahas	The Vijayanagara rulers minted gold coins weighing 56 grains, which were also issued in half and quarter denominations.
Naik	Governor who administered each Province

Important Terms to note from Delhi Sultanate

Officer	Duty Performed
Wazir	Chief Minister; in charge of Revenue & Finances
Ariz-i-Mumalik	Head of Military Department
Qazi	Legal Officer; dispensing Sharia law
Wakil-i-dar	Controller of the Royal household
Barid-i-Mumalik	Head of state news agency
Amir-i-majlis	Officer in charge of Royal feasts & festivals
Majlis-i-am	Council of friends and officers consulted on important affairs of the state
Dahir-i-mumalik	Head of Royal correspondence
Sadr-us-sudur	Dealt with religious matters and endowments
Sadr-i-jahan	Officers in charge of religious matters and endowments
Amir-i-dad	Public Prosecutor
Naibwazir	Deputy Minister
Mushrif-i-mumalik	Accountant General
Amir-i-hazib	Officer in charge of the Royal court
Qazi-i-mumalik	Chief Justice
Qazi-ul-kazat	Head of Chief Judicial Department
Amir-i-Akhur	The officer commanding Royal Horses
Shahna-i-pil	Superintendent of Royal Elephants
Amir-i-bahr	Officer in charge of police & transport naval port

Official/Department	Provincial Function	Central Department Function
Diwan-i-Mustakhraj		Department of Arrears
Sahib-i-diwan	Maintained accounts of the provinces and sent them to central administration
Mukti/ Wali	Responsible for law & order and collection of taxes in their iqtas
Diwan-i-Risalat		Department of Appeals
Amir	Governor
Diwan-i-Insha		Department of Correspondence
Diwan-i-Qaza-i-Mamalik	Department of Justice
Shiqdar	The head of an administrative unit called Shiqq
Diwan-i-Khairat		Department of Charity
Diwan-i-Kohi		Department of Agriculture
Diwan-i-Ishtiaq		Department of Pensions
Diwan-i-Arz	Department of Military
Nazir/ Wakuf	Officials responsible for collecting revenue in the provinces
Diwan-i-Wazriyat		Department of Finance
Diwan-i-Bandagan	Department of Slaves

State Functionaries	Function
Amil	Revenue officer
Muftis	Expounder of law
Muqti/Wali	Provincial governor/ holder of Iqta
Chihalgani	A distinguished group of Turkish aristocracy who were initially slaves of Iltumish formed during Iltumish’s reign but was eventually dismantled by Balban.
Khwaja	Keeping accounts and sending information to the sultan, the office was created by Balban.
Muhatasib	An officer appointed to maintain law and order in a municipality
Iqtadar	Governor, a person in whose charge an Iqta has been placed.
Kotwal	Head of city administration.

Terms Related to the Economy	Function/Definition
Fawazil	The surplus revenue generated from Iqta after deducting the salary of the Iqta holder and expenses related to troops was referred to as “Jama.” This excess amount was supposed to be deposited in the state exchequer. Nevertheless, this practice was discontinued during the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
Charaj	Cattle tax levied on grazing.
Khams	Booty captured in war
Zakat	A religious tax, paid by Muslims as a charity for the welfare of their co-religionists.
Ushr	A tax levied on land held by Muslims and assessed by natural means, commonly referred to as Ushri lands.
Sondhar	Is a loan, given to the Peasants.
Khalisha	The area whose revenue was reserved for Sultan’s treasury. It was not given in Iqtas.
Biswa	A common measure of area in northern India, equivalent to 1/20 of a bigha.
Masahat	Measurement of land
Ghari	House tax
Jizya	A tax levied on non-Muslims in their capacity as protected subjects.
Kharaj	Land revenue realized from non-Muslims, such lands were known as Kharaji. Also known as Kharaj-I-Jiziya or mal.

Important Terms to note from Mughal Dynasty

Official/Department	Function
Wazir	Head of Revenue Department
Diwan	Responsible for all income and expenditure; control over Khalisa & Jagir
Mir Saman	In charge of Imperial Households (Karkhanas)
Diwan-i-Bayutat	Maintained Roads, Government buildings
Mir Manshi	Royal Correspondence
Sadr-us-Sadr	In charge of charitable & religious endowments
Qazi-ul-Quzat	Head of Judicial Department
Muhtasib	Inspector of public morals and markets
Mushrif-i-Mumalik	Accountant General
Mustauf-i-Mumalik	Auditor General
Daroga-i-dak-Chauki	Officer in Charge of Imperial Post
Mir-i-arz	Officer in Charge of Petition
Waqia Navis	News Reporters

Department	Function
Diwan-i-insha	Custodian of Govt. Papers
Diwan-i-Arz	Military accounts departments
Diwan-i-quza	Justice Department
Diwan-i-Wazarat	Department of Revenue & Finances
Diwan-i-Saman	Department in charge of the royal household
Diwan-i-Rasalatmuhtasib	Foreign Affairs Department
Diwan-i-Barid	Intelligence Department

Important terms to note from Maratha Empire

Official/Department	Function
Karkhani	Commissary
Mamlatdar or Viceroy	Head of Provinces
Peshwa	Prime Minister
Potnis	Cash Keeper
Nyayadhish	Judiciary
Daftardar	Chief Officer of Records Department
Bargis	Category of Horsemen which were paid from the State Exchange
Chauth	Chhatrapati Shivaji imposed a tax on the areas outside his kingdom, which was equivalent to one-fourth of the tax paid by the people to the Deccan or Mughal kingdoms.
Samant or Dabir	Dealing with the outsiders
Amatya or Mazumdar	Finance Minister
HazarMajils	Highest Court or Court of the King
Sar-i-nabuat	Army Affairs
Sachiv	The Official Correspondence
Silhadars	They were casual soldiers
Deshpande or Patel	Chief of Village
Pandit Rao	The official religious officer
Fadnis	Deputy Auditor
Sar-i- ‘Karkun’ or the ‘Prantpati’	Head of the Province
Waqia-Navis	Home Minister
Jamdar	Treasurer

Most Important Terms from Medieval

Most Important Terms from Medieval