The political history of the early medieval period saw the proliferation of states and land grants. Land grants to Brahmans played a significant role in the legitimation of political power and had a significant impact on agrarian relations. There was agrarian expansion in various parts of the subcontinent and rural societies became increasingly stratified. This was not a period of urban decay. This is most evident from South India where crafts, cities, trade and trade guilds flourished. Trade links between the subcontinent, China and South-East Asia expanded significantly. Devotional worship was a marked feature of religious thought and practice. Temples functioned not only as sacred spaces but also as the core of urban centres and as political symbols. The patronage they attracted made them points of convergence of the activities and aspirations of diverse social groups. Significant development occurred in the cultural sphere, including a range of texts in Sanskrit and vernacular languages. There was an efflorescence and refinement of temple architecture and sculpture, and distinct regional styles became apparent. During c. 600-1200 CE, the developments at the political, social, economic and cultural levels crystallized into distinct regional formations and patterns.