Which one out of the following is the main factor responsible for cluster settlement in the Bundelkhand region of Central India?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Security
Option (1) Terrain — Incorrect. A physical feature; it is not what draws the houses of Bundelkhand together.
Option (2) Altitude — Incorrect. Also a physical feature, with no part in making these villages compact.
Option (3) Security — Correct. Security here means defence against thefts and robberies. Houses built close together in one compact block let the villagers watch over and defend one another, while scattered houses would be easy targets. So the need for defence pulls the houses into a cluster, as in the Bundelkhand region of central India and in Nagaland.
Option (4) Climate — Incorrect. It is scarcity of water that makes villages compact in Rajasthan, not in Bundelkhand.
NCERT (2025-26): “Types of Rural Settlement … There are various factors and conditions responsible for having different types of rural settlements in India. These include:
“Clustered Settlements … The clustered rural settlement is a compact or closely built up area of houses. In this type of village the general living area is distinct and separated from the surrounding farms, barns and pastures.… Such settlements are generally found in fertile alluvial plains and in the northeastern states. Sometimes, people live in compact village for security or defence reasons, such as in the Bundelkhand region of central India and in Nagaland. In Rajasthan, scarcity of water has necessitated compact settlement for maximum utilisation of available water resources.” |