A significant feature of this period was that salaries were sometimes ...
During the early medieval period, it was common for officials and military personnel to receive land grants instead of cash salaries. This practice is well-documented through various means:
- Decline in the financial viability of the state: The weakening of the central authority often led to the state being unable to pay in cash, leading to land grants as a form of compensation.
- Hiuen-Tsang's account: The Chinese traveler Hiuen-Tsang (Xuanzang) specifically mentioned this practice in his observations during his travels in India, noting how officials were compensated with land grants rather than cash.
- Land-grant inscriptions: Numerous land-grant inscriptions, carved in stone and metal, have been found from this period onwards, further testifying to the prevalence of this system.
Since all the options (A, B, and C) accurately testify to this practice, D is the correct answer.
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A significant feature of this period was that salaries were sometimes ...
Explanation:
The correct answer is option 'C', which states that the frequency of land-grant inscriptions does not testify to the practice of salaries being paid in land grants during this period.
Reasoning:
- Decline in the financial viability of the state: If salaries were being paid in land grants instead of cash, it would indicate that the state was facing financial difficulties and did not have enough cash reserves to pay its employees. This would imply a decline in the financial viability of the state.
- Specific reference to this practice by Hiuen Tsang: Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese Buddhist monk who visited India during this period, mentioned in his accounts that salaries were sometimes paid in land grants. His firsthand account serves as evidence of this practice.
- Frequency of land-grant inscriptions: Land-grant inscriptions, both in stone and metal, were frequently found from this period onwards. These inscriptions documented the granting of land to individuals as a form of salary or reward. The presence of such inscriptions indicates that the practice of paying salaries in land grants was prevalent during this period.
Therefore, options 'A' and 'B' both testify to the practice of salaries being paid in land grants.
- None of the above: This option cannot be the correct answer as both options 'A' and 'B' testify to the practice.
- Conclusion: Option 'C' is the correct answer as the frequency of land-grant inscriptions does not provide evidence for the practice of salaries being paid in land grants. The presence of such inscriptions only serves as documentation of the practice, not as testimony to its existence.