Which officer was known as 'Bhagadugha' during Vedic administration?
- (a)Revenue Collector
- (b)Messenger
- (c)Chief Officer of Forests
- (d)Chief Officer of the Gambling Department
Correct — A, Revenue Collector. In later Vedic administration the 'Bhagadugha' was the officer who collected the king's share of the produce — i.e. the tax or revenue collector. The name is literally telling: 'bhaga' means the (king's) share or tax, and 'dugha' (from the root for 'to milk/draw out') means one who draws it in — 'the one who collects the share'. He was one of the ratnins ('jewels' of the king) associated with the royal household.
- (b)Messenger — The courier/messenger in Vedic texts was the Palagala (or Duta), not the Bhagadugha.
- (c)Chief Officer of Forests — The keeper of forests / king's huntsman was the Govikartana; forestry duties were not the Bhagadugha's.
- (d)Chief Officer of the Gambling Department — The superintendent of dice/gambling was the Akshavapa; the Bhagadugha handled revenue, not the gaming establishment.
By the later Vedic period, kingship had acquired a staff of specialised functionaries, several of them the ratnins ('bearers of jewels') who took part in the king's Rajasuya consecration. Beyond the top trio of Purohita (priest), Senani (commander) and Gramani (village head), the ratnins included the Bhagadugha (tax/revenue collector), Akshavapa (in charge of gambling), Govikartana (forests/hunt) and Palagala (messenger).
The question is a pure vocabulary check on Vedic official titles. Decode the word: 'bhaga' = share/tax, so a 'bhaga-collector' must be the revenue officer. Don't be misled by the other three exotic titles — each maps to a different, specific department (messenger, forests, gambling).
- Bhagadugha = collector of the king's share (bhaga) — the tax / revenue collector.
- He was counted among the ratnins, the officers linked to the Rajasuya royal consecration.
- Companion titles: Akshavapa (gambling), Govikartana (forests/hunt), Palagala (messenger), Suta (charioteer-herald).
- The office reflects the later Vedic move from tribal tribute (bali) towards a more organised revenue system.
'Bhaga' = the king's share (tax); the Bhagadugha is the officer who collects it.
- Guessing by option order rather than decoding the title — 'bhaga' (share/tax) is the giveaway.
- Confusing Bhagadugha (revenue) with Sangrahitri (treasurer) or Akshavapa (gambling).
UPPSC/UPSC ask Vedic and Mauryan administration as title-to-function matching — learn each officer's designation and department, especially the ratnins.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In later Vedic administration, the officer in charge of the gambling (dice) establishment was the:
- (a)Bhagadugha
- (b)Akshavapa
- (c)Govikartana
- (d)Palagala
Answer(b) Akshavapa — superintendent of gambling/dice among the ratnins.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The two popular assemblies that checked the king's power in the Vedic age were the:
- (a)Sabha and Samiti
- (b)Gana and Puga
- (c)Vidatha and Parishad
- (d)Ratni and Bhaga
Answer(a) Sabha and Samiti — the key Vedic assemblies.