Q. With reference to the history of India, the terms ‘kulyavapa’ and ‘dronavapa’ denote

Answer: (a) measurement of land

Various types of land are mentioned in the inscriptions: land under cultivation was usually called Kshetra. Lands not under cultivation were variously called Khila, Aprahata.
- Kshetra — Cultivable land
- Khila —Waste land
- Aprahata — Jungle or waste land
- Vasti — Habitable land
- Gapata Saraha — Pastoral land
- Bhumichhidranyaya — Non agricultural land during the Gupta period.
The inscriptions give the impression that uncultivated land was being regularly brought under cultivation. Classification of land according to soil, fertility and the use to which it was put was not unknown.
Different land measures were known in different regions, although one cannot be certain what exact measure was denoted by a term. In some areas Nivartana was the term used for a measure of land whereas in the inscriptions of Bengal terms like Kulyavapa and Dronavapa are used.

Texts and inscriptions mention various land measure terms.
The angula (probably ¾ inch) was the smallest measure.
The hasta (cubit) is the standardized distance between the tip of the elbow and the middle finger (18 inches).
Larger units of measure included the dhanu/danda and nala.
The land measures used in eastern India included the adhavapa (3/8– 1/2 acre), dronavapa (1½–2 acres), and kulyavapa (12–16 acres).
These were the areas required to sow one adhaka, drona, and kulya of grain respectively.