UPSC Prelims 2019 Q10: Ancient History – Gupta Empire
- (a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
- (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.
Answer: (a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
Explanation
Vishti (Forced Labour) in the Gupta Period
| Option | Claim | Verdict | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | Considered a source of State income - a sort of tax | TRUE | Vishti was unpaid labour exacted from villagers by the State (or local officials), treated as a customary tax obligation. It appears in Gupta inscriptions as one of the dues transferred to land-grant beneficiaries. |
| (b) | Totally absent in MP and Kathiawar | FALSE | Vishti was widespread across the Gupta realm including Central India and Saurashtra - inscriptions from these regions record vishti alongside other cesses. |
| (c) | Forced labourer entitled to weekly wages | FALSE | Vishti was unpaid by definition. Occasional food or small compensation might be given, but there was no formal wage. |
| (d) | Eldest son sent as the forced labourer | FALSE | No such rule. Labour was extracted from peasant households generally - a fixed number of days per year per household. |
Vishti = forced labour treated as a customary tax/state due. Answer: (a).
Answer: (a) It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Vishti was unpaid labour treated as a customary state due - effectively a labour tax exacted from peasants.
- (b) Incorrect. Vishti is recorded in inscriptions from Madhya Pradesh (Central India) and Kathiawar (Saurashtra).
- (c) Incorrect. Vishti was, by definition, unpaid labour - no weekly wage.
- (d) Incorrect. There was no rule about the eldest son - the burden fell on the household.
Key point
Vishti = unpaid forced labour treated as a labour-tax/state due in the Gupta period. Appears in copper-plate grants as one of the transferable dues.
Remember
Vishti in the Gupta period was unpaid forced labour exacted from villagers by the State - effectively a labour tax that could be transferred to grantees along with other dues. It was widespread (not regional), unpaid (no wages), and household-based (not eldest-son-based).
Common mistakes
- Assuming Vishti was a wage-labour arrangement. It was unpaid, coerced labour.
- Thinking it was regional. It was widespread across Gupta domains.
- Confusing Vishti with begar (medieval forced labour) - similar concept, different eras.
Exam tip
Gupta agrarian taxes to remember: Bhaga (land tax, ~1/6th produce), Bhoga (periodic supplies to king), Kara (miscellaneous cess), Hiranya (cash tax), Uparikara (extra cess on non-owner cultivators), Vishti (forced labour).
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 - Themes in Indian History Part I (Kings, Farmers and Towns)
- R.S. Sharma - India's Ancient Past (Gupta economy chapters)