Question

Determine the currectly matthed Gupta listal term with is meaning

• A. Hiranya-compukery labour service
• B. Dhanya gold tax
• C. Bhoga-king's share of produce
• D. Vaishthika-forced or corvée labour

Answer 1

Answer:

D. Vaishthika-forced or corvée labour

• Vishti (often transliterated as Vaishthika) was a critical form of forced labor or corvée labor prevalent during the Gupta period.
• In the administrative system of the Gupta Empire, this labor was extracted by the state or local officials from the common subjects without payment.
• The practice was frequently mentioned in land grant inscriptions, such as the copper plate charters, which often granted the right to collect Vishti to the donee of the land.
• This system served as a form of tax paid in labor, primarily used for public works, infrastructure maintenance, and supporting the military apparatus.
• Other significant administrative and economic terms from the Gupta era include:
  • Agrahara: Tax-free land grants given to Brahmanas.
  • Uparikara: An extra tax or cess levied on the cultivators.
  • Hiranya: A tax paid in cash rather than in kind.
  • Bali: A voluntary offering that became a compulsory tax during this period.
  • Bhaga: The king's share of the produce, typically one-sixth of the total yield.
• The term Vishti highlights the transition toward a more feudal structure in ancient India, where land ownership and the right to extract labor became intertwined with political authority.