Which officer was known as 'Bhagadugha' during Vedic administration?

1. A

   Messenger

   Option (a) claims that 'Bhagadugha' was a messenger. However, messengers in Vedic administration were known as Spasa or Dut, making this option incorrect.

2. B

   Chief Officer of Forests

   Option (b) claims that 'Bhagadugha' served as the Chief Officer of Forests. Forests and game sanctuaries were overseen by an officer designated as Aranyani, so this choice is wrong.

3. C

   Chief Officer of the Gambling Department

   Option (c) claims that 'Bhagadugha' was the Chief Officer of the Gambling Department. The officer presiding over gambling was Akshavapa, which means this option is also incorrect.

4. D

   Revenue Collector

   Option (d) claims that 'Bhagadugha' functioned as the Revenue Collector. In the Vedic period, 'Bhagadugha' was indeed the designated official responsible for collecting taxes and revenue from the people, thus making this the correct choice.

Summary. Official key is (d) Revenue Collector. During the Vedic period, the administrative machinery relied on several civil functionaries called Ratnins. Among them, the 'Bhagadugha' held the specific responsibility of collecting taxes and tributes. Other key officials included the Akshavapa for gambling and the Suta for charioteering. Understanding these specific Vedic terms is crucial for correctly answering administrative history questions in the UPPSC examination.