Name the historians who have directly questioned the centralised character of the medieval Indian state? (a) Burton Stein (b) Douglas Streusand (c) J.F. Richard (d) Frank Perlin Select the correct answer from the code given below :

Name the historians who have directly questioned the centralised character of the medieval Indian state? (a) Burton Stein (b) Douglas Streusand (c) J.F. Richard (d) Frank Perlin Select the correct answer from the code given below : Correct Answer (a) and (d)

• Burton Stein and Frank Perlin have strongly challenged the centralised state theory of medieval India.
• Stein adapted this model to the South Indian states from the Pallava to the Vijayanagara period.
• The segmentary state was composed of many similar segments surrounding a core and was ruled by the king.
• The historiographical tradition of centralised character was seriously challenged by Burton Stein.
• Stein has pointed out the contradiction in the view of K.A. Nilakanta Sastri with the Chola monarchy as an extremely powerful monarchy at the apex level and the overwhelming presence of local self-bodies at the villages.
• This view has been challenged by economic historians such as Frank Perlin, who believe that much of the revenue was redistributed back to local interests, and that there were thriving regional and, for some goods, national markets.
• Perlin also put believed that central control was weak in many areas, especially southern India.

Additional Information

• The history of South Indian polity in the early medieval period provide mainly the four models of analysis: Centralised Empire, Segmentary State, Early State and Feudal State.
• Stein did not accept the centralised theory of the state.
• K.A. NilakantaSastri presented a picture of a highly centralised empire under the Cholas.
• Hermann Kulke has questioned Stein’s concept of ritual sovereignty.