Which of the following statements are correct? (i) There was a growth of sectarian religious groups during early medieval India. Among them, a doctrinal cult emphasising on devotional worship gained popularity. (ii) Temples became dynamic spaces with political, social, cultural and economic functions-all rolled into one. (iii) The urban centres of early medieval India can be grouped into two categories-one may be called administrative towns and the other commercial towns. (iv) As the temples attracted diversified social groups, they dented the narrative favouring exclusion. Select the answer from the options given below:

Which of the following statements are correct? (i) There was a growth of sectarian religious groups during early medieval India. Among them, a doctrinal cult emphasising on devotional worship gained popularity. (ii) Temples became dynamic spaces with political, social, cultural and economic functions-all rolled into one. (iii) The urban centres of early medieval India can be grouped into two categories-one may be called administrative towns and the other commercial towns. (iv) As the temples attracted diversified social groups, they dented the narrative favouring exclusion. Select the answer from the options given below: Correct Answer (i), (ii), (iii)

The above statements pertain to the socio-cultural changes in the early medieval period.

• Statement 1 talks about the emergence of new devotional forms such as Bhakti, tantrism and a newer form of Brahmanism that accepted in its fold the newer devotional forms of Bhakti and Tantrism. The aspect of tantrism also seeped into Buddhism and Jainism too.
• The temples in this period, especially if we look at South India, became important centres of power and resources, they received huge land endowments and became elaborate in structure and organization.
• Some temples also became important places of pilgrimage, with elaborate rituals and creating newer employment opportunities for people living in and around these temples.
• Temples became the central point for many new urban regions to develop and regulate trade and economic activities to a large extent. Temple treasuries even functioned as banks, loaning out money with interest rates in order to sustain economic activities in its region.  
• Thus the third statement follows from the second and pointing to the emergence of newer urban centres during this period, such as temple towns which emerged as important centres of trade and commerce.
• With regard to the inclusiveness of the temples, historians have argued that the Bhakti cults of this period suffered from their own problems, as they never questioned the authority of the varna system and other discriminatory practices of Brahmanism. Hence, statement (iv) is not correct.