Match List-I (Meaning) with List-II (Term).
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| (A) An assembly of elders of the village | (I) Majur |
| (B) Head of the village panchayat | (II) Panchayat |
| (C) Accountant who helped prepare the village accounts | (III) Patwari |
| (D) Menials or agricultural labourers among those who tilled the land | (IV) Mandal |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A-II, B-IV, C-III, D-I
| List-I | List-II | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (A) An assembly of elders of the village | (II) Panchayat | The village panchayat is described as an assembly of elders, usually important people with hereditary rights over their property. |
| (B) Head of the village panchayat | (IV) Mandal | The panchayat was headed by a headman known as muqaddam or mandal. |
| (C) Accountant who helped prepare the village accounts | (III) Patwari | The patwari was the panchayat's accountant who assisted the headman in preparing village accounts. |
| (D) Menials or agricultural labourers among those who tilled the land | (I) Majur | Majur was the term for those tillers who worked as menials or agricultural labourers. |
NCERT (2026-27): “2.1 Caste and the rural milieu “The village panchayat was an assembly of elders, usually important people of the village with hereditary rights over their property. In mixed-caste villages, the panchayat was usually a heterogeneous body. An oligarchy, the panchayat represented various castes and communities in the village, though the village menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to be represented there. The decisions made by these panchayats were binding on the members.” “The panchayat was headed by a headman known as muqaddam or mandal. Some sources suggest that the headman was chosen through the consensus of the village elders, and that this choice had to be ratified by the zamindar. Headmen held office as long as they enjoyed the confidence of the village elders, failing which they could be dismissed by them. The chief function of the headman was to supervise the preparation of village accounts, assisted by the accountant or patwari of the panchayat.” |