the revenue department. The akshapataladhikrita was the keeper of royal records. Gupta inscriptions mention the terms klipta, bali, udranga, uparikara, and iranyavesti meant forced labour. Agriculture and Agrarian Structure Agriculture flourished in the Gupta period due to establishment of irrigation works.
Apart from the state and individual cultivators, Brahmins, Buddhists and Jain sanghas brought waste lands under cultivation when they were donated to them as religious endowments. Cultivators were asked to maintain their crops properly from damages and those who indulged in damaging the crops were punished. Likewise, crops and fields were fenced. The crops cultivated during the Gupta period were paddy, wheat, barley, peas, lentils, pulses, sugarcane and oil seeds.
From Kalidasa, we come to know that the south was famous for pepper and cardamom. Varahamihira gives elaborate advice on the plantation of fruit trees. The Paharpur copper plate inscription indicates that the king was the sole proprietor of the land. Even when he made land grants, he reserved his prerogatives over it.
The location and boundaries of individual plots were marked out and measured by the record keepers and influential men in the locality. As stated in Paharpur plates, an officer called ustapala maintained records of all the land transactions in the district and the village accountant preserved records of land in the village. During the Gupta period, the land was classified as detailed below. Kshetra Cultivatable land Khila Waste land Aprahata Jungle or waste land Vasti Habitable land Gapata Saraha Pastoral land Irrigation The importance of irrigation to agriculture was recognised in India from the earliest times.
From the Narada Smriti , we understand that there were two kinds of dykes: the bardhya , which protected the field from floods, and the khara , which served the purpose of irrigation. To prevent inundation, jalanirgamah (drains) were constructed, which is mentioned by Amarasimha. Canals were constructed not only from rivers but also from tanks and lakes. The most famous lake was the Sudarsana lake at the foot of Girnar Hills in Gujarat.
Position of Peasantry The position of peasantry was undermined. They were reduced to the position of