Mauryan and Post Maurayan

Ancient and Medival History

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Indian Economy - Understanding the basics of Indian economic system

Consider the following statements regarding land grants in ancient India:

1. Land grants were the prevalent mode of payment during the Mauryan and Kushana period.

2. Land grants to Brahmanas and government officials became a reason for the erosion of royal control.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

The central factor that ultimately transformed the ancient Indian society into medieval society was the practice of land grants. Land grants became frequent from the 5th Century A.D. According to this, the brahmanas were granted villages free from taxes. All the taxes which were collected by the king from the villages were transferred to the brahmanas. In addition to this, the beneficiaries were given the right to govern the people living in the donated villages. Villages were granted to the brahmanas forever so that the power of the king was heavily undermined from the end of the Gupta period. Royal control was further eroded through the payment of government officials by land grants. Hence statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.
?In the Mauryan period, the officers of the state from the highest to the lowest were generally paid in cash. The practice continued under the Kushanas, who issued a large number of copper and gold coins, and it lingered under the guptas.
But from the Sixth century A.D., the position changed. The law-books of the time recommended that services should be rewarded in the land. Accordingly, from the time of Harshavardhana, public officials were paid in land revenues. A fourth of the royal revenue was earmarked for the endowment of great public servants.