History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500)

History of Garhwal including Haridwar (1223- 1804 AD) –part -52  

                                            

 History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -297 

                       By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

      Dependency on Muslim Biographers for Historical Analysis of Garhwal in Sultanate Period

           Historians depend on Garhwal history for thirteenth to fifteenth century on Muslim biographers of Muslim rulers or Muslim legends. The Muslim biographers wrote about wins or events of their masters than describing social and cultural situations in the cited regions. The religious sect scholars wrote about pilgrims or their devoted sects.

  Historical Analysis of Population of Garhwal in Tughluq, Sayyed, Timur, Lodhi –Sultanate Periods

           The biographers of Muslim attackers on Garhwal described the population of South Garhwal –Haridwar, Dehradun and Bhabhar on higher side or in exaggerated manners. No doubt exaggerated, it is clear that the population of South Garhwal was dense as also seen in present time.  

                The slaves from Dehradun were counted as seven laksh in Mahmud Ghazani attack on Dehradun.

             It is written that the grandson of Mahmud captured one lakhs Galbar or fire worshippers and were made slaves.

 Timur also captured more than five laks of fire worshippers.  

    The above descriptions by Muslim biographers might be exaggerated but do not create doubt that the population in Salan, Bhabhar (Garhwal); Dehradun and Haridwar was dense.

               History Analysis of Habitats of People in Garhwal in Sultanate Period

              People used to live in villages. The head quarters of Pargana, Chieftain’s kingdom capital were cities and had dense population. In western Garhwal, there were cities as Santur, Salmur; Chandiya )Jandiya), Miyapur (Mayapur), Kapula (Haridwar), Devalgarh (Warangal). It seems Gangdwar or Haridwar was destroyed before Timur attack as there is no mention in Timur biography for destructing temples in Haridwar..

 When there used to be attack on plains of Garhwal, people used to take shelters in hills of north.

            History Analysis of Agriculture in Garhwal in Sultanate Period

  

                    Most of people used to depend on agriculture. There was no system importing grains from other region and societies were living in self reliance system. The peasants worked hard and to eke out bare subsistence. The village headmen and land lords had higher standard of life than ordinary villagers.

               Doon and Bhabhar regions were higher agriculture product producers. That was the reasons that the Kings used to defend that region and Muslim invaders used to attack on that prosperous region.  

  Agriculturists used to have domestic animal herds in numbers. The domestic animal population was also one of the attracting bonanzas for Muslim invaders. Farmers or domestic animal owners (Khadak) used to take their animals from one place to other place as per seasons.

         It seems that people had no shortage of milk, butter and Ghee. Coarse grains were major productions and forest produces was to keep famine away from the region. The two crops with rotation system persisted in the region. Plough by ox pair was common in other Indian parts and definitely it was common Garhwal too. Grass growing near farm land was common aspects as grass was a main fodder.  There might be dozens of grasses in Garhwal used for fodders.

 The land was classified according to structure of land and fertility and according to crop too. Wherever, farmers used to have wheat crops or cane crops in Dehradun-Bhabhar-Haridwar, the leveling and cleaning process was elaborate. Barely cropping was much simpler and people had more barley farms than British era. Less preparation than wheat was done for many millets cropping.  

 Before, ploghing and leveling, it was necessary to have fertilizers in the farm lands. Compost manure of domestic animals was scattered on the farm land. Where the farms were far from villages Goth or animals were kept for night on the fields.

 Perhaps the farmers started to gain Persian knowledge of making reservoirs and irrigation system. However, rain was basic source of irrigation than canals.

 The crops were harvested with the aid of sickles and thrashing was done by wooden clubs and walking of animals on heap of cut stalks of crops. The grains were put into Kuthar or Dabal by putting a layer of ashes and some anti insect leaves.

                         Principal Crops grown in Sultanate Period in India  

Hamida Khatun Naqvi (1984) detailed the following crops in India in Sultanate Period –

Wheat

Rice

Jawari

Bajara

Koda

Jhangwar (millets)

Barely

Gram

Moth

Vetches

Mung

Peas

Lentils

Arhar

Sarson

Til

Linseeds

Sugarcane

Cotton

Hemp

Cotton

Indigo

Raddish

Flowers

Etc

                 Since, Garhwal is having different geographical variations, Garhwal is fortunate to have all types of crops except sea shore crops were harvested. Therefore, it is assumed that all the above crops existed in Garhwal in Sultanate Period.

         Forests were full of fruits, shoots, and underground tubers and bulbs to satisfy the demand of people.

(See also Bhishma Kukreti, उत्तराखंड में कृषि व भोजन का इतिहास)

                 History Analysis of Prosperity in Garhwal in Sultanate Period

   There were strong perceptions among outsiders as Timur that Garhwal/Karachal had ample gold mines, economical animal produces, forest produces as Kasturi; ornaments, coins, metal vessels, clothing materials etc. Timur types of Looters looted wealth of Garhwal in their short attacks. That means Garhwal (especially south Garhwal) was prosperous as compared to other regions.

            

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com24/3//2014

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -298  

                                      References

1-Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral, 1971, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag-4, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, Pauri Garhwal, India 

2-Harikrishna Raturi, Garhwal ka Itihas

3-Dr. Patiram, Garhwal Ancient and Modern

4-Rahul Sankrityayan, Garhwal

5- Oakley and Gairola, Himalayan Folklore

6- Bhakt Darshan, Garhwal ki Divangit Vibhutiyan

7-Foster, Early Travels in India William Finch

8-Upadhyaya, Shri Shankaracharya

9-Shering, Western Tibet and British

10-H.G. Walton, Gazetteer of British Garhwal

11-B.P.Kamboj, Early Wall Paintings of Garhwal

12-H.g Walton, Gazetteer of Dehradun

13- Vimal Chandra, Prachin Bharat ka Itihas

14-Meera Seth, Wall Paintings of Western Himalayas 

15-Furar, Monumental Antiquities

16-Haudiwala, Studies in Indo-Muslim History

17- Rahul Khari 2007, Jats and Gujjar Origin, History and Culture

18- Upendra Singh, 2006, Delhi: Ancient History, Barghahan Books

19- B.S. Dahiya, 1980, Jats the Ancient Rulers (A Clan Study) , Sterling Publications

20- Maithani, Bharat –Gotrapravardeepika

21 Prem Hari Har Lal, 1993, The Doon Valley Down the Ages

22-Dashrath Sharma, Early Chauhan Dynasties

23- Shailndra Nath Sen, Ancient History and Civilization

24-H.M Elliot, 1867, The History of India as told by its Own Historians

25- Jaswant Lal Mehta, 1979, Advance Study in Medieval India

26- Nau Nihal Singh, 2003, The Royal Gurjars: their contribution to India, Anmol Publications 

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

History of Garhwal from 1223-1804 to be continued in next chapter          

Notes on  South Asian Medieval History of Garhwal;  South Asian Medieval History of Pauri Garhwal;  Medieval History of Chamoli Garhwal;  South Asian Medieval History of Rudraprayag Garhwal;  South Asian Medieval History of Tehri Garhwal;  Medieval History of Uttarkashi Garhwal;  South Asian Medieval History of Dehradun, Garhwal;  Medieval History of Haridwar ;  South Asian Medieval History of Manglaur, Haridwar;  South Asian Medieval History of Rurkee Haridwar ;  South Asian Medieval History of Bahadarpur Haridwar ; South Asian History of Haridwar district to be continued…   

Xx

Notes on History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Malla Salan, Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Talla Salan, Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Gangasalan, Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Bhabhar Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Haridwar Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Dehradun Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Pauri Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Tehri Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Uttarkashi Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Chamoli Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500); History Analysis of Agriculture and Crops of Rudraprayag Garhwal in Sultanate Period (1206-1500);