Explanation:

Options B, C and D existed much prior to 6th century, so they can’t be the answer.

• The institution is considered to belong properly to the Gupta Empire, however, some vague evidence is found in South India as well.
• The Samanta in South-India was used to mean a vassal to an emperor. In North-India, the earliest use of the term in a similar sense was in Bengal where someone was described as Samanta-Chudamanih (best among feudatories) of the imperial Guptas.
• The Samanta vassal provided military support to the Monarch and governed over a portion of a territory.
• Learning: The term Indian feudalism is used to describe zamindar, jagirdar, sardar, mankari, deshmukh, chaudhary and samanta. In this system, a nobility gave the emperor military services in exchange of land.
• There was a separate class of labourers or peasants who were provided military protection in exchange of labour and share of their produce. They were allowed to live on the lord’s land