Dynamics of Economic-cultural Transformation in Kashi During the Medieval Period

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the religious history of Kashi's origins and development, the textual and scriptural history of Kashi. Kashi has many names, including Anandkanan (the forest of bliss), Mahashamsan (the great cremation ground), and Avimukta (something that cannot be abandoned). There are multiple examples that support the claim that a city's nature, dynamics, and popularity have changed over time in response to the demands and needs of the time. Banaras is one of those ancient cities that has been associated with various religious beliefs and cultures since ancient times, but the city, while retaining its old features, established itself as a developed trade city by accepting new economic challenges, how Banaras provided a suitable environment to the changing cultural and economic challenges, and how it went through the pressure of different political powers from time to time and made them realise its importance. This paper aims to understand how the environment of Banaras and its dynamics in the mediaeval period transformed this city into a developed economic-cultural city.