Question

What was the land under the control of the Brahmins called?
A. Cherikkal
B. Brahmaswam
C. Devaswam
D. Agrahara

Answer 1

Hint: During the medieval period there were three broad types of land-based on the ownership right. One type of land was under the control of Naduvazhikal, one type was under the control of Brahmins and the last type was under the control of temples.

Complete answer: Brahmaswam was the name given to the land under the control of the Brahmins. This was prevalent in the medieval period in Kerala which lasted till the year 1792 until Kerala was brought under the control of the British.
We can say that the medieval period in Kerala began from the later Chera rulers. He Chera rulers made the city of Mahodayapuram as their capital. The period is important because we can see various developments took place during this time especially in the areas of art, language, culture and religion.
When we talk about the medieval period in general then it began after the fall of the Roman Empire, after which the Renaissance started.
While talking about the other options,
A. Cherikkal - It was the type of land which was under the control of the Naduvazhikal.
C. Devaswam - It was the land which was under the control of the temples.
D. Agrahara - It was a land grant given by the king or the noble family for religious purposes.
Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Note: During the medieval period in Kerala, we can see the development of many art forms such as Mohiniattam, Kathakali and Kodiyattam. It can be seen that during the medieval period there was a growth towards cultural aspects.