Mauryan Economy and Administration
Mauryan Kings and Land Grants | Assertion-Reason Analysis
Mauryan kings generally did not provide religious land grants, preferring administrative control. There is no evidence of peasant revolts against such grants during this period.
Primary Reference: NCERT Class 11 - Ancient India (R.S. Sharma)
Archived:
Updated:
Exam Year
2004
Evidence Source
Link ↗Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): The Mauryan kings did not bestow land-grants on religious basis.
Reason (R): The peasants revolted against land grants.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
[U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) Mains 2004]
Detailed Solution & Historical Context
Concept
Land-grant systems in India evolved significantly between the Mauryan and Gupta periods. The Mauryans favored a centralized cash-based or service-based bureaucracy.
Authentic Source Evidence
Unlike the later Gupta or Satavahana periods, Mauryan administration (as per Arthashastra) typically avoided creating autonomous religious pockets through land grants, preferring to pay officials in cash (panas).
Analytical Breakdown
Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic
"How did Mauryan land policy differ from the Gupta period?"
Mauryan policy was centralized with the state controlling agricultural surplus, whereas the Gupta period saw a rise in decentralization through land grants to Brahmanas.
Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip
"The absence of religious land grants in the Mauryan period reflects a highly centralized state that aimed to prevent the emergence of intermediaries between the king and the tillers."
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