The ultimate ownership of land during the post-Gupta period lay with

Answer & Explanation

Answer: [C]

The ultimate ownership of land during the post-Gupta period lay with the king. In the post-Gupta period in India, the political landscape was marked by the rise of regional kingdoms and feudalism. The king or ruler held supreme authority over the land and had the power to grant land rights to various individuals or communities.

While the cultivators (A), village communities (B), and joint families (D) had rights and access to the land for cultivation and livelihood, the ultimate ownership of the land resided with the ruling king or monarch. The king had the power to grant or revoke land rights, collect revenue, and impose taxes on the land.

This period saw a complex system of land ownership and administration, with the king as the ultimate authority over the land, but also with rights and obligations shared by cultivators, village communities, and joint families within their respective domains.