Why do the people of Bundelkhand region tend to live in compact settlements?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → For the security or defence purpose
The type of a rural settlement depends on physical features, cultural and ethnic factors and security factors. In Bundelkhand, the deciding factor is security.
Option (1) For the security or defence purpose — Correct. Houses built close together are easier to defend against thefts and robberies. People live in compact villages for this reason in Bundelkhand in central India and in Nagaland.
Option (2) For doing agricultural activity — Incorrect. Farming explains the clustered villages of the fertile alluvial plains, not those of Bundelkhand.
Option (3) As the terrain is suitable for them — Incorrect. Terrain shapes settlements in many areas. In Bundelkhand, people crowd together for safety, not because of the land.
Option (4) People of the same community tend to live together — Incorrect. Social and ethnic factors more often split a large village into separate hamlets.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 11-06-2023 (Slot 3).
NCERT (2026-27): “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.” |