Consider the following statements regarding Indian Feudalism in the early medieval period : 1. The revenue assignments were called Bhoga. 2. The hereditary chiefs neither collected revenues nor assumed administrative powers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In the early medieval period of India, the socio-political structure was characterized by a decentralized system often described as Indian feudalism. Statement 1 is correct as revenue assignments or fiefs granted by a ruler to his subordinates or vassals were indeed referred to as 'bhoga'. These grants allowed the holder to enjoy the produce or revenue of the land. Statement 2 is incorrect because hereditary chiefs, such as rais, rajas, and thakurs, played a central role in the administrative and fiscal machinery. These chiefs were not merely titular; they actively collected revenues from the peasantry and assumed significant administrative and military powers, often maintaining their own soldiers to defend territories and assist the central authority [2]. Their position was typically hereditary, and they functioned as powerful intermediaries between the state and the cultivators.

Sources

1. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: New Beginnings: Cities and States > Early Democratic Traditions > p. 72