The origin of the feudal system in ancient India can be traced to military campaigns — UPSC Prelims...

Assertion (A): The origin of the feudal system in ancient India can be traced to military campaigns.

Reason (R): There was considerable expansion of the feudal system during the Gupta period.

Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A.
3. A is true, but R is false.
4. A is false, but R is true.

Explanation

• The feudal system in ancient India is closely associated with the practice of granting land to military officers, officials, and religious beneficiaries, a process that was often linked to military conquests and the expansion of kingdoms.
• As rulers acquired new territories through campaigns, they increasingly rewarded their subordinates with land grants, laying the foundation for feudal relations.
• The Gupta period witnessed a considerable expansion of this system, characterized by the proliferation of land grants and the emergence of local intermediaries exercising administrative and fiscal powers.
• However, the Reason does not adequately explain the Assertion. The Assertion makes a causal argument that the origins of feudalism lay in the practice of rewarding military elites with land grants, whereas the Reason merely points to the significant expansion of the feudal system during the Gupta period. Thus, the Reason establishes a chronological development rather than explaining the underlying cause of the origin of feudal relations.

Answer: (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A.