Question

The tax which the kings used to collect from the people in the Vedic period was called?

• A. Bali
• B. Vidatha
• C. Varman
• D. Kara

Hint:

Link: Vedic tax = Bali. Later medieval tax = Kara.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: In the Vedic period, various forms of contributions were made to the king and religious institutions.
Step 2: Bali was the tax collected from the people, usually in the form of a portion of agricultural produce.
Step 3: Other terms:
- Vidatha: social and religious assembly.
- Varman: a title or suffix, not a tax.
- Kara: a general term for tax in later periods. \[ \boxed{\text{Bali}} \]

Answer 2

Matching each Vedic-period term to what it actually referred to helps identify the tax among these choices.

1. Option 1 (Bali): This term referred to the voluntary or customary offering, often a share of agricultural produce, given by the people to the king in Vedic times, functioning as an early form of tax.
2. Option 2 (Vidatha): This word denoted an assembly with social and religious functions rather than any form of taxation.
3. Option 3 (Varman): This was a suffix commonly attached to royal names, not a tax term.
4. Option 4 (Kara): This term for tax came into wider use in later, post-Vedic periods rather than describing the specific Vedic-era collection.

Since Bali specifically describes the tribute collected in the Vedic period, option 1 fits the question.

Hence, the correct answer is Bali.