With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct?
A
It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
Correct Answer
B
It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.
C
The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages.
D
The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the forced labourer.
Explanation
*Vishti* was regarded as a legitimate source of state revenue and a form of "tax in kind" where subjects contributed physical labor to the king instead of cash or goods. Option (c) is incorrect because *Vishti* was essentially unpaid forced labor, making the provision of weekly wages contradictory to its very definition. The core concept tested is the administrative and fiscal system of the Gupta Empire, specifically the extraction of labor as a resource for the state.
Ancient Indian HistoryGupta Administration and Economy, Social StructureForced labourVishtiGupta periodsource of incometaxMadhya PradeshKathiawar