Which of the following statements are TRUE about the 'Amara-Nayaka System'?

(A) Many features of the Amara-Nayaka System were derived from the lqta System of Delhi Sultanate.
(B) The amara-nayakas were not responsible for the collection of revenue from the peasants.
(C) The rayas occasionally transferred the amara-nayakas from one place to another to assert their control.
(D) The maintenance of temples and irrigation works was not the responsibility of the amara- nayakas.
(E) The amara-nayakas maintained horses and elephants to help the rayas during times of war.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(A), (C), (E) only

The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (C), (E) only

Statements (A), (C) and (E) are correct.

(A) Many features of the Amara-Nayaka System were derived from the lqta System of Delhi Sultanate.
(C) The rayas occasionally transferred the amara-nayakas from one place to another to assert their control.
(E) The amara-nayakas maintained horses and elephants to help the rayas during times of war.

Amara Nayaka System:

Amara is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word samara, meaning battle or war. It also resembles the Persian term amir, meaning a high noble. The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is likely that many features of this system were derived from the iqta system of the Delhi Sultanate (Statement A). The amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the raya. They collected taxes and other dues from peasants (correct version of statement B), craftspersons and traders in the area. They retained part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses and elephants. These contingents provided the Vijayanagara kings with an effective fighting force with which they brought the entire southern peninsula under their control (Statement E). Some of the revenue was also used for the maintenance of temples and irrigation works (correct version of statement D). The amara-nayakas sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty. Kings occasionally asserted their control over them by transferring them from one place to another (Statement C). However, during the course of the seventeenth century, many of these nayakas established independent kingdoms. This hastened the collapse of the central imperial structure.