Correct Option
The correct option is (a).
Explanation
Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316 CE) introduced drastic agrarian and market reforms to maintain a large standing army and maximize state revenue. His policies aimed to establish a direct relationship between the state and the cultivator (raiyat) by curbing the power of local intermediaries.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: Alauddin Khalji was the first Sultan of Delhi to order that land revenue be assessed on the basis of the measurement of land under cultivation. This system, known as Masahat, brought the assessment of land revenue directly under state control, reducing the arbitrary powers of local chiefs.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The measurement of land was not entrusted to local village headmen (Khuts, Muqaddams, and Chaudharis). Instead, the Sultan aimed to break their dominance. He employed state officials to measure the land and assess the revenue to ensure that the burden was not passed on unequally to the peasantry and that the intermediaries paid their due share.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: Alauddin Khalji raised the land revenue (Kharaj) to one-half (50%) of the produce, which was the highest in the history of the Delhi Sultanate. The rate of one-sixth was a traditional rate mentioned in ancient texts (Shastras) but was not the rate applied by Alauddin.
Key Takeaway: Alauddin Khalji introduced the Masahat system (measurement of land) and fixed the land revenue at 50% of the produce, while also imposing grazing tax (Charai) and house tax (Ghari).