UPSC CSE Pre 2020

Ancient Revenue Administration

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

With reference to the history of India, the terms 'kulyavapa' and 'dronavapa' denote:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: A

Concept Land administration in ancient India involved standardized units of measurement to facilitate land grants and tax assessments.

Explanation Copper plate inscriptions from the Gupta era, particularly those found in Bengal, mention terms like Kulyavapa, Dronavapa, and Adhavapa as units of land area.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: 'Vapa' refers to the act of sowing; thus, the terms signify the area of land required to sow a certain amount of grain (a 'Kulya' or a 'Drona').
Logic 2: A Kulyavapa was roughly equivalent to 160 bighas, while a Dronavapa was smaller, approximately 16–20 bighas.
Logic 3: These terms are strictly associated with agricultural land measurement and not coinage or urban classification.

Active Recall

Question

Where are these land measurement terms most frequently found?

Answer

They are predominantly found in the Gupta-era copper plate inscriptions located in the Bengal region.

Core Insight

The nomenclature (Kulyavapa/Dronavapa) reveals that land area was traditionally measured by the quantity of seed required for cultivation rather than linear distance.