Previous Year Question
With reference to Indian history, which of the following is/are the essential element/elements of the feudal system?
A very strong centralized political authority and a very weak provincial or local political authority
Emergence of administrative structure based on control and possession of land
Creation of lord-vassal relationship between the feudal lord and his overlord
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect. A basic characteristic of a feudal system is not extremely strong centralised authority but the decentralisation of political power. The direct administrative power of the central ruler is limited, while regional or local feudatories exercise considerable authority. Thus, an “extremely strong central authority + extremely weak local authority” runs contrary to the nature of feudalism.
Statement 2 is correct. In a feudal structure, control over land and the fiscal and administrative rights associated with it become an important basis of political power. In early medieval India, historians have associated the transfer of fiscal, administrative and sometimes judicial rights along with land grants with the growth of feudal tendencies. UGC-INFLIBNET similarly links post-Gupta land grants and transfers of royal revenue rights with the emergence of a new politico-economic structure.
Statement 3 is correct. A feudal structure creates a hierarchy in which a subordinate vassal or feudatory acknowledges a superior ruler or overlord. In return for territory or rights, the subordinate may owe obligations such as tribute, loyalty or military service. The lord-vassal relationship is therefore a fundamental feature of feudal political organisation.