Q. In Chola inscriptions, the term "Brahmadeya" often appears in the context of revenue exemptions. How did the creation of Brahmadeya villages affect the Chola revenue system?

1. It reduced the immediate cash inflow to the royal treasury as these lands were often tax-free (manya).
2. It served as a tool for agrarian expansion by bringing marginal lands under cultivation through Brahmin expertise.
3. It centralized revenue collection by bypassing the local Nattar assemblies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: 1 and 2 only
Notes: Brahmadeyas were often granted with tax exemptions, reducing immediate revenue to the royal treasury. They also promoted agrarian expansion by enabling Brahmins to settle and cultivate marginal lands. However, they operated with autonomous assemblies and did not centralize revenue collection by bypassing local Nattar assemblies.