Question 48 from UPSC CSE 2020 - ANCIENT INDIA

Question

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

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. measurement of land

Strategy: Focus on the root words 'kulyavapa' and 'dronavapa,' noting their shared 'vapa' suffix, which historically denotes land measures. Eliminate options related to coins, urban classification, or rituals, as these terms consistently appear in land records and Gupta-era inscriptions. This contextual evidence directly points to land measurement.

Key Info: Kulyavapa and Dronavapa were standardized measures of land, referenced in ancient Indian inscriptions, notably from the Gupta period.

*   **Kulyavapa** -- Commonly found in inscriptions from Bengal and eastern India, this land area measure sometimes denoted the land that could be sown with a fixed quantity of seed, typically based on the requirements of a specific household or clan ('kulya').
*   **Dronavapa** -- Also a land measure, 'drona' refers to a particular measure of seed, so dronavapa represented the land that could be sown using one drona of seed.

Land grants and revenue records in early medieval India frequently mention these units, highlighting their importance in agrarian administration. During the Gupta period, a variety of land types and standardized units (such as nivartana, kulyavapa, dronavapa) were crucial for tax assessment and agrarian management.

## Other Related Terms

*   **Kshetra** -- Land under cultivation.
*   **Khila** -- Uncultivable or wasteland.
*   **Aprahata** -- Forest land or jungle.
*   **Vasti** -- Habitable land.

These measuring systems illustrate the sophisticated land revenue administration and classification in ancient Indian economic history.

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Option B: coins of different monetary value

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Option C: classification of urban land

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Option D: religious rituals