Prelims 2015 · archive
MediumWith reference to Indian history, which of the following is/are the essential element/elements of the feudal system?
- 1.A very strong centralized political authority and a very weak provincial or local political authority
- 2.The emergence of an administrative structure based on control and possession of the land
- 3.Creation of lord-vassal relationship between the feudal lord and his overlord
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Feudalism rests on land control and lord-vassal bonds, with power dispersed to local lords; a strong centre with weak local authority is the opposite.
- ✗ 1. Feudalism means weak central authority and powerful local lords.
- ✓ 2. Administration rested on control and possession of land.
- ✓ 3. Lord-vassal relationship is central.
Remember · Feudalism: land-based control plus lord-vassal bonds, weak centre.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Themes in World History, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Themes in World History, Chapter 4 “This is because they controlled land. This control was the outcome of a practice called 'vassalage'.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2015: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·