In a seventeenth-century north Indian village, the elders of the leading families gathered under a large tree to decide matters of common concern. When the old head of this body died, the elders met again and, after long talk, agreed on a successor; the local zamindar then gave his approval. Some years later, many elders felt that the new head was no longer acting fairly in village matters, and they stopped trusting him.
What could happen to such a head once the elders no longer had confidence in him?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Those who had chosen him could dismiss him from office
Option (1) Those who had chosen him could dismiss him from office — Correct. The headman (muqaddam or mandal) was chosen by the consensus of the village elders and held office only while he kept their confidence; when he lost it, the elders could dismiss him.
Option (2) The zamindar alone could remove him after holding an inquiry — Incorrect. The zamindar only ratified the elders' choice of headman. Removal lay with the elders themselves.
Option (3) The amil could replace him with a man of his own choice — Incorrect. The amil was a revenue official of the state. He had no say in choosing or replacing the head of the panchayat.
Option (4) The jagirdar could suspend him until the next revenue season — Incorrect. A jagirdar held a revenue assignment and collected its revenue. Suspending the village headman was not his power.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.2 Panchayats and headmen … |