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Early medieval polity: Original meaning of the term "samanta". The term "samanta", later used for feudatories from the 6th century CE onward, originally meant what? Choose the correct meaning.

Q: Early medieval polity: Original meaning of the term "samanta". The term "samanta", later used for feudatories from the 6th century CE onward, originally meant what? Choose the correct meaning.

Given Determine the original sense of the word samanta. Concept/Approach In Sanskrit, samanta originally means neighbor. Over time it became a technical term for subordinate chiefs/feudatories in early medieval Indian polity. Final Answer Neighbor.

Difficulty: Easy

Neighbor
Slave
Guest
Trader

Correct Answer: Neighbor

Explanation:

Given
Determine the original sense of the word samanta.

Concept/Approach
In Sanskrit, samanta originally means neighbor. Over time it became a technical term for subordinate chiefs/feudatories in early medieval Indian polity.

Final Answer
Neighbor.

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