Correct Option
The correct option is (a).
Explanation
The Chola administration is renowned for its meticulous record-keeping, particularly regarding land grants (such as Brahmadeya or Devadana). These grants were often recorded on copper plates, providing detailed information about the demarcation of land boundaries and the specific rights transferred to the recipient.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: Chola inscriptions explicitly mention the method of defining land boundaries. The text of these grants states that boundaries were demarcated by making earthen embankments and by planting thorny bushes to prevent encroachment and clearly define the gifted area.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The grants were comprehensive in nature. Inscriptions typically list the resources included with the land, stating: "This is what the land contains: fruit-bearing trees, water, land, gardens, orchards, trees, wells, open spaces, etc." The recipient was granted the right to enjoy these resources, not excluded from them.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: Far from forbidding construction, the inscriptions often granted specific privileges regarding habitation. The text usually permitted the recipient to build large rooms, including upper stories made of baked bricks.
Key Takeaway: Chola land grant inscriptions (copper plates) provided the donee with comprehensive rights over the land, including its natural resources (water, trees) and construction privileges, while strictly defining boundaries using physical markers like embankments.