Consider the following pairs with reference to textiles in Southern In

Consider the following pairs with reference to textiles in Southern India :

(Tax) (Meaning)
1. Panjupeeli : on cotton yarn
2. Nulayam : on cotton thread
3. Tari kadamai : on silk clothes
4. Sella : on silk thread

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct ?

1 only
1 and 2 only
2, 3 and 4 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2023
During the medieval period in Southern India, particularly under dynasties like the Cholas, various taxes were levied on economic activities, including textile production. Terms like Panjupeeli and Nulayam were associated with taxes on cotton yarn and thread (Nul means thread/yarn in Tamil). Tari kadamai literally means ‘loom duty’ or tax on looms or weaving, not specifically on silk clothes. Sella is not a widely recognized tax term for silk thread.
Based on historical records of medieval South Indian taxes, Panjupeeli and Nulayam were indeed taxes related to cotton yarn/thread, making statements 1 and 2 correct. Tari kadamai was a tax on looms/weavers, not specifically on silk clothes, making statement 3 incorrect. Statement 4 is also likely incorrect.
Taxes like Tari-kadamai were significant revenue sources, levied on weavers based on the number of looms operated, and sometimes varying with the type of fabric produced (though “on silk clothes” is a specific interpretation). Panjupeeli and Nulayam were taxes on the raw material (yarn) used by weavers.
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