● Agrahara - Land Or Village Gi ed By A King

● Alvars The Vaishnava Saint- Poets Of Early Medieval South India

● Apabhramsha - A Stage Of The Later Development Of The Prakrit Language Up To The End Of The
1st Millennium Ce
● Aranyakas - Literally 'forest Books'; Part Of The Vedic Corpus
● Abwab - extra legal charges exacted by landlords
● Akhra - gymnasium
● Amil - revenue official
● Amla - zamindari official
● Ajlaf - Muslim commoners
● Atrap - Muslim commoners—same as ajlaf.
● Azad dastas - guerrilla bands
● Amils— Revenue Officers
● Arz-I-Mamalik— Minister In-Charge Of The Army Of The Whole Country.
● Ahl-I-Qalam — Reporter
● Akam - Sangam love poems
● Amphorae - A type of Roman pottery—jars with a large oval body, narrow cylindrical neck, and
two handles
● Antarala - The vestibule or antechamber of a temple
● Anvikshiki - Literally, 'looking at'; logical reasoning
● Araghatta - Persian wheel
● Ardha-Magadhi - an eastern dialect of Prakrit; the earliest Jaina texts are written in this dialect
● Ardhamandapa - the hall preceding the sanctum in a temple
● Arhat - a person who has attained enlightenment
● Ariya-sachchani - the Four Noble Truths related to suffering; an important part of the Buddha's
teaching
● Astika schools: philosophical schools that accepted the authority of the Vedas, comprising those
that later came to be described as the six classical systems of Hindu philosophy
● Ayyavole: a powerful merchant guild of early medieval South India
● Bhikkhu Pali - (Sanskrit Bhikshu), Literally 'one Who Lives By Begging Alms'; A Buddhist Monk.
● Brahmacharya - The Stage Of Celibate Studenthood In The Ashrama Scheme
● Brahmadeya - Land Gi ed To Brahmanas, Generally By Kings
● Baqqal — Trader, Grain-Dealer
● Batai — Division Of Crop Between The Cultivator And Landlord Or The Government, Payments
May Be In Kind Or Cash
● Barid - An Intelligence Officer Appointed By The State To Collect Information
● Banjar - Waste And Fallow Land
● Banjara - Itinerant Tribe
● Bahas - Muslim religious meeting
● Bakasht - land where permanent tenancies has been converted into short-term tenancies
● Bodhisattva - a future Buddha
● Boustrephedon style - a style of writing in which consecutive lines start in opposite directions
● Brahmadeya: land gi ed to Brahmanas, generally by kings
● Burin: a small stone tool, made on a blade, with a 'screw-driver' edge
● Chakri - Office job
● Cairn stone circle: a type of megalithic burial, marked by a stone circle
● Chaitya: a Buddhist shrine
● Charana: school of Vedic study
● Charvaka: an atheistic materialist philosophical school, also known as Lokayata
● Cowries: marine shells, once used as currency in many parts of the world; in India cowries from
the Maldive islands were used as currency from ancient times till the colonial period
● Chaouth Or Chauthaai — One-Fourth Of The Land Revenue, Originally A Zamindari Charge In
Gujrat Demanded By Shivaji As A War Expense.
● Charai — A Tax On Cattle.
● Dadan - Advance
● Dadani - merchants who procured goods by paying advances to primary producers
● Dalam - revolutionary units
● Dalwai - Prime minister of the Mysore state
● Dastak - permits issued by the local councils of the East India Company certifying their goods for
the purpose of tax exemption
● Deshpande - revenue collector
● Desbmukh - revenue officer
● Dikhu - foreigner - term used by the tribals (San-thals) to identify outsiders
● Dakshinapatha: the great southern trade route
● Dana: ritual giving
● Darshana: literally, 'view'; philosophy
● Dhamma: a Pali word (Sanskrit, dharma), referring to the ideal conduct of an individual living in
society
● Dhamma Chakka-pavattana: Pali, literally 'turning the wheel of dhamma'; the Buddha's first
sermon in the deer park near Benaras
● Dhamma-mahamatas: a new cadre of officials created by Ashoka to propagate dhamma
● Dvija: literally 'twice born'; those entitled to the performance of the upanayana (sacred thread)
ceremony, which is considered analogous to a second birth, viz., the upper three varnas, namely
the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas
● Dagh System — A System Of Branding Of Horses And Animal.
● Dame A Copper Coin Considered As I /40* The Silver Rupee For The Official Purposes.
● Dastur-At-Amal- Rule Book
● Dhimmi - A Non-Muslim Client Or Subject
● Darul Mulk - Capital
● Diwan - Function Of Finance
● Diwan-I-Arz - Ministry Of Military Affairs
● Diwan-I-Insha - Ministry Of Royal Correspondence
● Diwan-I-Kul Wazir - Or Chief Imperial Fiscal Minister
● Daroga - Minor Officer Or In Charge Of Local Office
● Diwan-I-Risalat - Religious Affairs
● Diwan-I-Wizarat - Department Of Finance
● Faujdar - In Charge Of Sarkar
● Fitna - sedition
● Fituris - a tradition of tribal rebellion
● Four Noble Truths(Ariya-sachchani): an important part of the Buddha's teaching, viz., there is
suffering; it has a cause; it can be eliminated; and the way to eliminate it is to follow the Eight-fold
Path
● Gumashta - An Agent Or Representative
● Garbha-Griha The Inner Sanctum Of A Temple, Where The Image Of The Main Deity Is Placed And
Worshiped
● Grihastha The Householder Stage In The Ashrama Scheme
● Ghatwali - service tenure for village watchmen
● Giras - customary dues
● Gomustah - Indian agent of the East India Company
● Gahapati: Pali for Sanskrit grihapati, i.e., householder; a wealthy property-owner
● Gana: a word which has many meanings, including an oligarchy
● Garbha-griha: the inner sanctum of a temple, where the image of the main deity is placed and
worshipped
● Grantha script: a South Indian script used for writing Sanskrit
● Ganj - A Grain Market
● Hun - A Gold Coin
● Hamam — A Room For The Bath Of Hot And Cold Water
● Hundi - A Bill Of Exchange
● Hundikas: bills of exchange used by traders in early medieval India
● Ibadat Khana: House Of Worship
● Iqta: It Was The Land-Grant System Adopted By Ala-Ud-Din Khilji To Grant His Officers As Reward
For Services Rendered.
● Khalisa: Land Revenue Directly For Imperial Treasury
● Khots: Village Head
● Khums: Tax On Plunder
● Khutba: A Sermon Made In Friday Mosque
● Janapada Literally, 'foothold Of A Tribe'; A Territorial State; A Region Consisting Of Urban And
Rural Settlements, Along With Its Inhabitants
● Jatakas One Of The 15 Books Of The Khuddaka Nikaya, Containing Stories Of The Previous Births
Of The Buddha
● Jati A Word With Several Meanings Including Caste, Birth, And Type.
● Jina Literally 'victor '; A Jaina Saint
● Jama - Estimated land revenue income
● Janmi - Holder of janmam tenure
● Jatha(s) - Sikh bands of warriors
● Jatra - Rural theatrical performance
● Jotedar(s) - Intermediary tenure holders
● Jamabandi — Settlement Of The Amount Of Revenue Assessed Upon An Estate Or District
● Jarib — A Measurement, Land Measurement Or Survey
● Jihat — Extra Cesses
● Jizya — (A) In The Literature Of Delhi Sultanate, Any Tax Which Is Not Kharai Or Land Tax (B) In The
Shariati A Personal And Yearly Tax On Non-Muslims.
● Kankut — Estimation Of Land Revenue
● Karori — A Revenue Officer.
● Khirai — Land Revenue
● Kula A Word With A Range Of Meanings, Including An Extended Patrilineal Family
● Kanamdar/Kanak - Holder of kanam tenure
● Khanazad - hereditary Muslim aristocrats in the Mughal court
● Khudkasht(s) - Peasants with occupancy rights
● Khutba - Friday prayers in the mosque
● Kulin - some castes among the Brahmans and Kayasthas of Bengal who are considered to be the
purest
● Kani rights: rights over land in early medieval South India, sometimes also associated with
certain duties and obligations
● Kara-shasanas: tax-paying agraharas
● Kottam: settlement clusters in the Pallava kingdom, similar to the nadus kraya-shasana: a secular
land-sale deed
● Kshatra: secular power
● Kshatrapa: a viceroy or subordinate ruler of the Scytho-Parthians; a title assumed by kings of the
Kshaharata and Kardamaka dynasties
● Linga A Phallic Emblem Of The God Shiva
● Lokayata: an atheistic materialist philosophical school, also known as Charvaka
● Madad-I-Massh: Tax Free Grants Of Land
● Malfuzat: Saying Of Sufi Saint
● Mamluk: White Slaves
● Mir Bhakshi: Military Department
● Mir Saman: Supply Department
● Muquaddam: Village Head
● Mahal - A Group Of Land Regarded As A Unit For Land Revenue Purposes.
● Mansab — A Military Rank Conferred By The Mughal Emperor.
● Mauza - Revenue Term For Village
● Mokasa - Grant Of Land For Military Service, Rent-Free Land.
● Madhayamaka - A Major Mahayana School Founded By Nagarjuna, In Which The Idea Of
Shunyata (Emptiness) Is Of Great Importance
● Mahajanapadas The Great States Of The 6th Century Bce
● Mahakshatrapa Viceroy, Subordinate Ruler; A Title Assumed By Some Kings Of The Kshaharata
And Kardamaka Dynasties
● Mahayana Literally 'the Greater Vehicle', A Set Of Buddhist Schools
● Mandapika A Local Centre Of Exchange, In Between Small Periodic Markets And Larger Trade
Centres
● Manigramam A Powerful Merchant Guild Of Early Medieval South India
● Matha - Monastery
● Moksha Liberation From The Cycle Of Birth And Death
● Masand - A deputy of the Sikh guru
● Mulgujar - Landholding primary zamindar
● Meli (s) - Anti-feudal demonstrations
● Mirasidar - Land Rights (Mirasi) in South India
● Misls - Combinations of Sikh sardars based on kinship ties
● Mofussil - Small town or subdivisional town
● Muktiyar Namah - Power of attorney
● Mushaira - Public recital
● Muttadars - Estate holders
● Menhir: a type of megalithic burial, marked by a single, large, standing stone
● Mithuna figures: amorous couples that occur o en in the sculptural decoration of shrines
● Mukhamandapa: the porch of a temple
● Nabud — Remission Of Land Revenue On Account Of Natural Disasters.
● Nagara Style The Northern Style Of Temple Architecture, Marked, Among Other Things, By A
Curvilinear Shikara (Tower)
● Nagarams Market Or Commercial Centres In Early Medieval South India
● Nagarattar The Organization Of The Nagaram
● Northern Black Polished Ware (Nbp Or Nbpw) - A Distinctive Type Of Fine Pottery With A Glossy
Surface, Made And Used Between C. 700 And 200 Bce
● Nakdi Mansabdar - Mansabdars who were paid in cash
● Nankar - Revenue free land
● Nadu: the locality, consisting of several settlements, in early medieval South India
● Nagara style: the northern style of temple architecture, marked, among other things, by a
curvilinear shikara (tower)
● Nagarakkani: land owned and managed by the nagaram
● Nalayira Divya Prabandham: a work by Nathamuni, containing the hymns of the Alvar saints
● Nattar: the leading men of the nadu (locality) in early medieval South India
● Nibbana: a term used o en in the Buddhist tradition for liberation from the cycle of birth and
death
● Nitishastra: Sanskrit works on statecra
● Niyoga: levirate; the ancient custom of a widow cohabiting with her brother-in-law or another
man in order to produce sons
● Nyaya: a philosophical school concerned primarily with logic and epistemology
● Ochre Coloured Pottery (Ocp) A Protohistoric Pottery Type Found At Several Sites In The Doab
● Paibaqi - Land Reserved For Allotment In Jagir
● Polai - Land Continuouily In Cultivation
● Painted Grey Ware (Pgw) A Distinctive Type Of Fine, Grey Pottery With Designs Painted On In
Black, Made And Used In Parts Of North India Between C. 1000 And 500 Bce
● Paramitas Perfections Whose Attainrnent Led To The Bodhisattva Path; A Mahayana Idea
● Pariharas Exemptions And Privileges Granted To Donees In Royal Land Grants Parinibbana The
Passing Away Of The Buddha
● Pahikasht(s) - Vagrant Peasants
● Patadar(s) - Landowners
● Patil - Village headmen
● Podu - A tribal term for shi ing cultivation prevalent in the Andhra region
● Pali: an ancient language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages; the language of
the canon of the Theravada school
● Paribbajaka: Pali, literally, 'wanderer', renunciant
● Patichcha- samuppada: Pali, the law of dependent origination; a part of the Buddha's teaching
● Periyapuranam: A 12th century work containing hagiographies of the Nayanmar saints
● Prakrit: an ancient language belonging to the Indo-European family of languages, with various
dialects such as Maharashtri, Shauraseni, and Magadhi
● Pramanas: grounds of knowledge
● Prashasti: panegyric
● Pravara: the names of one, two, three, or five supposed ancestral rishis, connected with the gotra
system of the Brahmanas
● Puram: war poems of the Sangam corpus
● Pargana: Around Hundred Village
● Qanungos: Caretaker Of Revenue Records
● Risalas - Units of the army of Haidar Ali of Mysore
● Sabha: Assembly Of Brahmins In Chola Period
● Sadr Us Sadur: Ecclesiastical Affairs
● Sarkar: Administrative Unit Or Units Of Paragana
● Shaikhzadas: Indian Muslims Nobility
● Sharia: Muslim Law
● Shiqdar: Head Of Administrative Unit
● Sandhar: Loans
● Subas: Provinces
● Sabha A Tribal Assembly Mentioned In Vedic Texts; The Assembly Of A Brahmana Village In Early
Medieval South India
● Samana - A Pali Word (Sanskrit Shramana); Literally, 'one Who Strives', A Renunciant
● Samanta - Subordinate Ruler; Feudatory
● Samhita - A Collection Of Hymns, Associated With The Vedas
● Samskaras - Literally 'preparation', 'arrangement'; Rituals Marking Important Life Stages
● Sandhara - A Temple Style With An Enclosed Passage For Circumambulation
● Shruti - Literally 'that Which Has Been Heard', The Veda
● Shvetambara - Literally 'white•clad', A Jaina Sect
● Smriti Literally - Texts'; A Category Of Sanskrit Texts That Includes The Vedangas, Puranas, Epics,
Dharmashastras, And Nitishastra
● Stri-Dhana - 'women's Wealth'; Various Types Of Moveable Property Given To A Woman On
Various Occasions During Her Life-Time, Passed On From Mother To Daughter
● Syadavada - Literally 'doctrine Of Maybe'; The Jaina Doctrine Of The Partial Nature Of All
Statements About Reality
● Sahajdharis - Non-khalsa Sikhs
● Sahukar - Moneylender
● Sajjad Nisbins - Custodians of sufi shrines
● Sanad - Mughal imperial order
● Saranjam - Transferable land rights
● Sawar - A numerical rank for Mughal military commanders indicating the number of horsemen
they were supposed to maintain
● Sharif - Respectable Muslim
● Sud - A tribal term for foreigners prevalent in the Choto Nagpur region
● Swaraj Ziladish - independent district magistrate
● Samkhya: a very ancient philosophical school which views the world as consisting of two
fundamental categories of purusha (the spiritual principle) and prakriti (matter or nature)
● Sangam literature: texts in old Tamil, comprising the earliest parts of the Ettutokai, Pattuppattu,
and Tolkappiyam
● Sangha: a word with many different meanings including oligarchy, the Buddhist monastic order,
and the Jaina monastic order
● Sannyasa: the stage of complete renunciation in the ashrama scheme
● Sapindas: people who are held to be related to each other, an important category in
Dharmashastra discussions on rules of marriage, inheritance, and rules of purity and impurity to
be observed among relatives when a person died
● Saptanga rajya: literally 'the seven-limbed state', the Arthashastra concept of the state as
consisting of seven elements
● Setthi: Pali (Sanskrit sreshthin); a high-level businessman associated with trade and
money-lending
● Shakha: a recension of a Veda
● Siddhamatrika: an ancient script, known from the 6th century CE; also known as Kutila
● Tevaram - A Collection Of Hymns, Part Of The Canon Of South Indian Shaiva Bhakti Tipitaka Pali,
Literally 'the Three Baskets' Or 'three Collections', Buddhist Canonical Texts; The Pali Tipitaka Is
The Canon Of The Theravada School
● Triratna - Literally, 'the Three Gems'; In Jainism, Refers To The Triple Path Of Right Faith,
Knowledge, And Conduct Upanishads Philosophical Texts That Are Part Of The Vedic Corpus
● Tankha Jagir - Hereditary possessions of the Rajput chiefs under the Mughals
● Tufan dal (s) - Revolutionary village units
● Taniyur: a special status given to certain brahmadeyas in early medieval South India, making
them independent of the nadu wherein they were located
● Terra sigilatta: moulded, decorated wares as well as undecorated, wheel- made ones made in
Italy or imitations thereof; earlier referred to as Arretine ware
● Tipitaka: Pali, literally 'the three baskets' or 'three collections', Buddhist canonical texts; the Pali
Tipitaka is the canon of the Theravada school
● Tirthankara: literally, 'ford builder'; a Jaina saint
● Tirumurai: the canon of South Indian Shaiva bhakti
● Tiruttondar-Tiruvantai: a work by Nambi Andar Nambi, which gives a short hagiography of the
Nayanmar saints
● Tiruttondar-Tokai: a work by Sundarar, which lists 62 Nayanmar saints
● Torana: the gateway of a shrine
● Transepts: vertical stone slabs that divide a megalithic chamber tomb into sections
● Tankah: Silver Coin
● Ulama - Muslim priests
● Ummah - Community based on allegiance to the common Islamic faith
● Utar - Forced labour
● Ur: a non-brahmadeya village of South India; the corporate assembly of such a village
● Upasaka A Male Lay Follower Of The Buddha's Teaching
● Vanaprastha The Stage Of Partial Renunciation In The Ashrama Scheme Varahathe Boar
Incarnation Of The God Vishnu
● Varna Literally 'colour '; The Concept Of Four Hereditary Classes— Brahmana, Kshatriya,Vaishya,
And Shudra
● Varna-Samkara The Mixture Of Varnas Due To Inter-Varna Unions
● Vassavasa The Monsoon Retreat Of Buddhist Monks
● Vesara A Style Of Temple Architecture Which Has A Blend Of Elements Associated With The
Nagara And Dravida Styles; Also Referred To As Karnata-Dravida
● Vihara A Buddhist Monastery
● Vimana The Sanctum Of A Temple And Its Superstructure
● Viragal The Word For A 'hero Stone' In The Tamil Nadu Area
● Vishnuism (Vaishnavism) The Worship Of Vishnu As A Supreme God
● Vatan - Hereditary land rights
● Vaisheshika: a philosophical school of pluralistic realism
● Varaha: the boar incarnation of the god Vishnu
● Vatteluttu: An ancient South Indian script used for writing Tamil
● Velir: chie ains of South India
● Vellala/vellalar: cultivating groups of South India
● Vellanvagai: non-brahmadeya villages of early medieval South India; same as ur
● Vendar: the three 'crowned kings' of early historical South India, i.e., the Cholas, Cheras, and
Pandyas
● Vihara: a Buddhist monastery
● Waqf: Grants To Muslim Religious Establishments —-0
● Watandar: Desais And Deskmukh
● Wilayat: Spiritual Territory Of A Sufi
● Yajamana: the person for whom the yajna (sacrifice) is performed and who bears its expenses
● Yakshas: deities associated with water, fertility, trees, forests, and the wilderness
● Yakshis: female deities associated with fertility, consorts of yakshas
● Yavana: Greeks, foreigners from the West
● Yogachara: a major Mahayana school which attached great importance to meditation as a means
of attaining the highest goal
● Yupa: sacrificial post
● Yajamana The Person For Whom The Yajna (Sacrifice) Is Performed And Who Bears Its Expenses
● Yajna Sacrifice
● Yakshas Delites Associated With Water, Fertility, Trees, Forests, And The Wilderness
● Yakshis Female Deities Associated With Fertility, Consorts Of Yakshas
● Zabt: Revenue Based On Land Measurement
● Zawabit: Non-Shariat State Laws
● Zimmis- Protected Non-Muslims
● Zenana - The women's quarter in the inner part of the house
● Zillah - Administrative District