Which of the following were key features of Brahmadeya land grants during roughly 600 to 1200 AD in early medieval India?

Introduction / Context:
This question examines Brahmadeya grants, which were important land grants made to Brahmins in early medieval India between about 600 and 1200 AD. Understanding their features helps explain changes in land ownership, revenue systems and the growing influence of Brahmins in rural society during this period.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement 1: Creation of Brahmadeya grants meant renunciation of actual or potential sources of revenue by the state.
• Statement 2: These grants could vary in size from a small plot to several villages.
• Statement 3: Most grants were made in unsettled areas.
• We must choose the correct combination of these statements.

Concept / Approach:
Brahmadeya grants were usually tax free gifts of land to Brahmins. When the state granted such land, it gave up rights to revenue from that land, so statement 1 is correct. The size of these grants was not uniform; some were small plots, others entire villages or clusters of villages, so statement 2 is also correct. Statement 3, however, is misleading. While some grants were used to bring new land under cultivation, many were in already settled and fertile regions to ensure a stable income for the donees. Therefore, it is not accurate to say that most grants were made in unsettled areas. The correct combination is statements 1 and 2 only.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Evaluate statement 1 and recall that Brahmadeya grants were typically revenue free, meaning the state gave up its revenue claims on those lands. Step 2: Assess statement 2 and remember that the extent of Brahmadeya grants varied widely from small plots to entire villages. Step 3: Consider statement 3 and note that many Brahmadeyas were in well cultivated areas; it is incorrect to say most were in unsettled regions. Step 4: Conclude that statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is not. Step 5: Select the option that lists 1 and 2 only.

Verification / Alternative check:
History texts on early medieval India highlight that Brahmadeya grants reduced direct state revenue from gifted lands because they often came with tax exemptions. They also emphasise that kings gave land of different sizes and qualities, sometimes small but sometimes entire villages, depending on the recipient and context. While some grants may have encouraged cultivation in new regions, the general pattern shows many were made in already developed areas with irrigation, since those lands could support the Brahmin donees. This evidence confirms that statements 1 and 2 are correct, and statement 3 is inaccurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1 only: This ignores the well documented variation in size of Brahmadeya grants described in statement 2.
2 and 3 only: This would wrongly accept statement 3, which overstates the proportion of grants in unsettled areas and ignores the revenue renunciation aspect in statement 1.
1, 2 and 3: This would treat all statements as correct, but statement 3 is not supported by the majority of historical evidence.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes imagine that land grants were mainly tools to expand into uncultivated territory and therefore accept statement 3 without question. Another pitfall is to overlook the financial dimension and forget that the state was giving up a stable revenue source when creating a Brahmadeya. Linking the concept to both revenue and land control, and remembering that many grants were in fertile areas, helps avoid these mistakes.

Final Answer:
The correct features are those given in statements 1 and 2 only.