With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term 'Araghatta' refers to

1. A

   Bonded labour

   Bonded labour in medieval usage appears as visti, debt bondage or other unfree labour, not as araghatta. This option is not the key.

2. B

   Land grant made to military officers

   Land grants to military officers are iqta (in the Delhi Sultanate) or related service tenures, not araghatta. This option is wrong.

3. C

   Waterwheel used in the irrigation of land

   Araghatta (ara-ghatta) in the economic history of medieval India denotes the waterwheel or Persian-wheel type device used to lift water for irrigation. That is why (c) is the official key.

4. D

   Wasteland converted to cultivated land

   Wasteland brought under the plough is expansion of cultivation (banjar to abad), not the meaning of araghatta. This option is not the key.

Summary. Official key is (c) waterwheel used in the irrigation of land. Texts and inscriptions use araghatta for a wheel with pots that raises water from wells or streams, an important irrigation technology in dryland and well-irrigation zones. It is not a labour status, a military grant, or a land-reclamation term. Persian wheel is the later popular name for a similar geared lift. Only (c) matches the term.