UPSC Prelims 2016 Question:

In the context of the history of India, Consider the following pairs:

SI. No.	Term		Description
1.	Eripatti	:	Land, revenue from which was set apart for the maintenance of the village tank
2.	Taniyurs	:	Villages donated to a single Brahmin or a group of Brahmins
3.	Ghatikas	:	Colleges generally attached to the temples

Which of the above pairs given is/are correctly matched?

Explanation:

• Eripatti: Land grants made for maintaining village tanks are called Eripatti or Erichcheruvu. So, pair 1 is correctly matched.
  
  
• Taniyurs: Chola kingdom was divided into provinces (mandalam), their being generally eight or nine of these. Each mandalam was divided into valanadus (or districts). These in turn were subdivided into groups of villages, variously called kurram, nadu, or kottam. Occasionally a very large village would be administered as a single unit and this was called Taniyur. (Brahmadeya was a tax-free land donated to Brahmanas in early medieval India). So, pair 2 is not correctly matched.
  
  
• Ghatikas: They were educational centers for Vedic learning during the Pallava period (3rd – 9th century CE) in South India especially in Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Ghatikas had highly qualified Brahmin preceptors, who imparted Vedic learning. They functioned in many places, the most important center being in Kanchipuram, the capital city of the Pallavas. These Ghatikas were run in temples. So, pair 3 is correctly matched.
  
  

Therefore, option (4) is the correct answer.

Subject: History | Miscellaneous(hist)