Correct Option
The correct option is (d).
Explanation
The political structure of the Early Vedic (Rigvedic) period was tribal and pastoral. The 'Rajan' or King was primarily a tribal chief (Gopat) rather than a territorial monarch. The elaborate administrative machinery, urban lifestyle, and absolute power associated with kingship developed only in the Later Vedic and Mahajanapada periods.
Statement-wise Analysis- Statement 1 is Incorrect. The Rigvedic Aryans were semi-nomadic and pastoral. They did not live in large palaces or capital cities. Urbanization and the construction of fortified capitals are features of the Second Urbanization (Mahajanapada period), which occurred much later.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect. There was no system of regular, mandatory taxation in the Rigvedic period. The chief received voluntary offerings known as Bali from the clan members. Regular taxes and appointed tax collectors (such as the Sangrihitri) emerged only in the Later Vedic period.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect. Succession was not strictly automatic or hereditary. While kingship tended to remain within a family, the Rajan often required the approval or support of tribal assemblies like the Samiti. The rigid principle of primogeniture (automatic succession of the eldest son) was not yet established.
The Rigvedic 'Rajan' was a "protector of the tribe" (Janasya Gopa) who lacked the defining features of a state, such as a standing army, regular taxation system, capital cities, or absolute hereditary succession.