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Difficulty: EasyState Building and Governance in South and Southeast Asia

An excerpt from the Uttaramerur Inscription of the Chola monarch Parantaka I, South India, circa 920 CE:

'This is the way we shall choose the members of the committee for supervising the gardens... From among the thirty wards of Uttaramerur, those who own land, are well-educated, and possess honest earnings shall have their names written down on palm leaves. These palm leaves shall be placed inside a pot. An assembly of the village shall be gathered, and a young boy who knows nothing about the matter will be asked to draw one leaf. The person whose name is drawn shall take office. In this manner, thirty members shall be chosen to govern the local committees of our kingdom, ensuring order and compliance with royal tax collection.'

Based on the passage, which of the following best describes the method of local governance used by the Chola Dynasty to maintain control and administrative efficiency?

  1. A
    The establishment of a decentralized feudal system modeled on European vassalage
  2. The delegation of administrative responsibilities to local committees comprised of qualified landownersAnswer
  3. C
    The total elimination of local authority in favor of direct rule by foreign Islamic military officials
  4. D
    The reliance on seasonal monsoon wind patterns to determine municipal laws and committee boundaries

Answer

The delegation of administrative responsibilities to local committees comprised of qualified landowners
The correct answer is correct because the inscription clearly outlines how local administration was managed by choosing specific literate and land-owning community members to serve on local committees. This reflects how Hindu states in South Asia, like the Cholas, integrated local autonomy with royal oversight to maintain administrative stability and collect revenues.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the geographical and institutional context of the source.
The source is the Uttaramerur Inscription of the Chola Dynasty, a powerful Hindu empire in South India.
This establishes that the state building strategy belongs to Hindu South Asia and not to European or Islamic systems.
2
Analyze how local governance is structured based on the provided text.
The text describes selection criteria (owning land, being educated) and a lottery process to select village committee members to oversee gardens and ensure royal tax compliance.
This demonstrates a system where the state delegates daily administrative tasks to local elites who meet specific property and educational standards.
3
Evaluate the choices to match the text analysis.
The option describing delegation to local committees of qualified landowners directly mirrors the lottery system for educated land-owning individuals described in the passage.
This matches the correct historical mechanism of Chola state administration.

Key Concept

State Building and Governance in South and Southeast Asia
Estimated Time:50s
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State Building and Governance in South and Southeast Asia

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