The correct option is (b).
Explanation
The Chola administration is historically significant for its highly organized system of local self-government. Inscriptions from the period highlight three specific types of village assemblies based on the social composition of the locality: the Ur, the Sabha, and the Nagaram.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Incorrect. The Nagaram was not an association of Brahmanas. It was an assembly of merchants found in towns and commercial centers. The assembly consisting exclusively of Brahmanas (typically in Brahmadeya or land-grant villages) was known as the Sabha or Mahasabha.
- Statement 2 is Correct. The Nagaram performed administrative functions in towns where traders and merchants were dominant. It managed local affairs, regulated trade practices, and was often responsible for tax collection and maintaining commercial interests within the town.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect. The Nagaram was primarily a mercantile and administrative body, not a religious one. While these assemblies often patronized temples and managed endowments, their core purpose was economic governance and town administration, distinct from purely religious bodies.
Key Takeaway:
In Chola local administration, the Ur was the general assembly of tax-paying residents, the Sabha was the assembly of Brahmanas in land-grant villages, and the Nagaram was the assembly of merchants in trading towns.