Deep inequities on the basis of caste and other castelike distinctions meant that the cultivators were a highly heterogeneous group. Despite the abundance of cultivable land, certain caste groups were assigned menial tasks and thus relegated to poverty. Though there was no census at that time, the little data that we have suggest that such groups comprised a large section of the village population, had the least resources and were constrained by their position in the caste hierarchy, much like the Dalits of modern India.
The cultivators described in the passage were part of a collective village community in Mughal India. Which term was used for the village headman of this community?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Muqaddam
Option (1) Patwari — Incorrect. The patwari was the village accountant who kept the village accounts.
Option (2) Zamindar — Incorrect. Zamindars were landed people who held superior rights over land and stood above the village community.
Option (3) Amil-guzar — Incorrect. The amil-guzar was the Mughal revenue collector, an official sent by the state.
Option (4) Muqaddam — Correct. The village community had three constituents: the cultivators, the panchayat and the village headman, called muqaddam or mandal.
NCERT (2026-27): “2. The Village Community … |