Colonial writings describe the Indian village as a little republic of fraternal partners sharing resources and labour in a collective. In which century did some British officials see it this way?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Nineteenth century
Option (1) Sixteenth century — Incorrect. The sixteenth century is the age of early Mughal sources on the village. British officials were not yet writing on Indian villages then.
Option (2) Seventeenth century — Incorrect. The seventeenth century is the time of travellers like Tavernier. The little republic image came from British officials, much later.
Option (3) Eighteenth century — Incorrect. Eighteenth-century records tell us how zamindars in Bengal paid artisans. The little republic view belongs to a later century.
Option (4) Nineteenth century — Correct. Some British officials in the nineteenth century saw the village as a little republic of partners sharing resources and labour. This was not a sign of equality, since there was individual ownership and deep caste and gender inequities.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.4 A “little republic”? |