Temples Served As Economic Institutions, Sources Of Political Legitimacy From 1000-1700 CE: NCERT Class 9 Textbook | Education and Career News
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The NCERT Class 9 textbook defines resistance beyond battles, including the survival and restoration of institutions and traditions, with temples playing a key role.
The chapter states that from the 12th century onwards, some temples and mathas were destroyed or converted into mosques. (File/Representative image)
The new Class 9 Social Science textbook prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) describes temples between 1000 and 1700 CE as important economic institutions and sources of political legitimacy, apart from their religious role, reported PTI.
Titled Understanding Society: India and Beyond – Part 2, the textbook was released on Tuesday, around six months after the start of the new academic session. The first part was released in June.
A chapter titled “Resistance and Resilience (1000-1700 CE)” contains a section, “Temples: The Resilience of Sacred Sites”, which examines the role of temples in the socio-economic and political life of the period.
The chapter presents resistance not only in terms of battles and political conflicts but also as the survival and restoration of institutions and traditions, with temples playing an important role.
According to the textbook, temples functioned as major centres of the region’s socio-economic and political life. It says they developed into economic hubs that managed land grants, employed specialised workers and provided financial services to local traders.
The textbook also says rulers used temple patronage to strengthen their political legitimacy. Beyond religious functions, temples served as centres of education and culture, helping preserve artistic traditions including Bharatanatyam and other art forms.
The chapter further states that some temples exercised quasi-judicial authority, collected local taxes and administered legal penalties. It describes temples as major landholders and employers that received donations, endowments and land grants and provided employment to architects, artisans, sculptors, priests, musicians and administrative staff.
The textbook links religious institutions with political authority by describing how some rulers presented themselves as representatives or deputies of deities.
It states that temple deities were regarded as protectors of the state and its people and that, in some cases, the deity was considered the ruler while the actual king governed as the deity’s deputy.
The textbook cites the example of the Gajapati rulers of Odisha, who described themselves as the “Rauta”, or deputy, of Jagannath. It also refers to the Kachhwaha rulers of Jaipur as governing on behalf of Govindadev Ji, while the Rajput rulers of Kota regarded themselves as representatives of Rama.
The book also says temples functioned as financial institutions by extending credit to cultivators, village assemblies and merchant groups.
The chapter discusses the destruction and plunder of temples from the 11th century onwards, particularly during Ghaznavid and Ghurid invasions. It also says that from the 12th century onwards, some temples and mathas were destroyed or converted into mosques.
The textbook then examines the continued construction and restoration of temples, citing the Jagat Shiromani Temple at Amer and the Jagdish Temple in Udaipur, built by Maharana Jagat Singh.
It presents these architectural projects as examples of religious and political assertion and notes that scholars have interpreted Maharana Jagat Singh’s projects, including the Jagdish Temple, as a religious and political response to Mughal authority.
The chapter also refers to the construction of the Jama Masjid in Delhi under Shah Jahan, placing these architectural developments within the broader political and religious context of the period.
Quick Answers
Ask News18According to the NCERT Class 9 textbook, temples between 1000 and 1700 CE served as important economic institutions, educational and cultural centres, and sources of political legitimacy alongside their religious functions. They functioned as economic hubs that managed land grants, provided financial services, and acted as major employers for artisans and staff.
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