RAS question
According to the Arthashastra, the ideal tax rate on agriculture was:
Correct answer: (B) One-sixth of the produce.
According to the Arthashastra, the standard Bhaga or land-revenue share on agricultural produce was one-sixth of the produce.
Explanation
The Arthashastra treats agriculture as part of Varta, the practical economic sphere that sustained the treasury and the army. Within that fiscal framework, the standard agricultural levy was Bhaga, assessed at one-sixth of the produce. That makes option B the expected answer: it is the normal land-revenue share, not merely a random fraction. Two important limits matter for RAS: rates could rise on irrigated land and in emergencies, but those were departures from the standard rate. The one-sixth norm also fits the wider Smriti tradition, which is why this fact is often tested in questions on ancient Indian polity and revenue administration.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) One-tenth understates the standard Bhaga because the normal agricultural share is one-sixth of produce.
- (C) One-fourth may suggest a higher levy, but higher rates were exceptional for irrigated lands or emergencies, not the ideal standard.
- (D) One-third is too high for the standard land-revenue norm and is not the Bhaga rate for agriculture in the Arthashastra.
Concept
This tests ancient Indian revenue administration, especially the idea of Bhaga as land revenue in the Arthashastra. It recurs in RAS because polity, economy and social-order questions often link ancient texts with concrete administrative practices.