Q. With reference to the history of India, the terms ‘kulyavapa’ and ‘dronavapa’ denote
a) measurement of land
b) coins of different monetary value
c) classification of urban land
d) religious rituals
Correct Answer : a) measurement of land
Question from UPSC Prelims 2020 GS Paper
Explanation:
Kulyavapa
This term is associated with the measurement of land in terms of the amount of seed required to sow the land. Specifically, ‘kulyavapa’ refers to the amount of land that could be sown with a ‘kulya’ of seeds. A ‘kulya’ is a specific measure of volume for seeds, and thus ‘kulyavapa’ essentially denotes a unit of area based on the seed sowing capacity.
Dronavapa
Similar to ‘kulyavapa’, ‘dronavapa’ is another term related to land measurement based on the capacity of seed required for sowing. It refers to the amount of land that could be sown with a ‘drona’ of seeds. A ‘drona’ is another traditional Indian measure of volume, and thus ‘dronavapa’ represents a unit of area determined by the amount of seed (measured in ‘dronas’) that would be used to sow that area.
