Glimpses of Maratha Socio-economic history  (English, Hardcover, Chitnis K.N.)

The book deals with the administration and economic life of the people in the Southern Maratha Country which was generally situated between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, mostly in North Karnataka during the Wlaratha period. This region had an admixture of Vijayanagara, Adilshahi, Maratha and indigenous systems of administration. The author has for the first time made a searching analysis of the Maratha rule in this region, basing his conclusions on a study of the primary documents lying scattered in various archives. This book explains the administrative system obtaining in this area under the Marathas, focuses our attention on the land revenue system, highlights the commercial activities, and brings into relief the monetary system in the Southern Maratha Country. A special feature of the book is that it gives four important examples to illustrate the administrative and land systems of the land, besides giving two appendices to Chapter II which make the subject matter more explicit. The importance of the book is further enhanced by two maps, one on the Southern Maratha Country itself, and the other on the Nargund-Ramdurg principality showing all the intricacies of the situation of this double principality which occupied an important place in this area. The region was honey-combed with numerous jagirs, desgats, samsthans and saranjams scattered in different places and ruled or enjoyed by Princes, Desais, Nadgaudas and Saranjamdars such as the Patwardhans, the Rastes, the Ghorpades, the Bhaves and the like. It is thus a highly intricate study of a strange complex of different territories under different rulers or administrators called by a common name of Southern Maratha Country. Briefly, it gives us a clear picture of the complicated power structure, complex administrative system, intriguing land system with its queer land terms and minute revenue figures and finally the trading and financial activities of the people in the Southern Maratha Country under the Marathas.