Which of the following was NOT a function of panchayat in medieval India?

None of the above

The correct answer is Option 4 - None of the above

All three options were the function of panchayat in medieval India:

Option 1- construction of a bund or digging a canal
Option 2- to ensure that caste boundaries among the various communities inhabiting the village were upheld
Option 3- to levy fines and inflict more serious forms of punishment like expulsion from the community

Panchayat in 16th-17th century:

The village panchayat was an assembly of elders, usually important people of the village with hereditary rights over their property. The panchayat derived its funds from contributions made by individuals to a common financial pool. These funds were used for defraying the costs of entertaining revenue officials who visited the village from time to time. Expenses for community welfare activities such as tiding over natural calamities (like floods), were also met from these funds. Often these funds were also deployed in construction of a bund or digging a canal which peasants usually could not afford to do on their own.

One important function of the panchayat was to ensure that caste boundaries among the various communities inhabiting the village were upheld. In eastern India all marriages were held in the presence of the mandal. In other words one of the duties of the village headman was to oversee themconduct of the members of the village community chiefly to prevent any offence against their caste”.

Panchayats also had the authority to levy fines and inflict more serious forms of punishment like expulsion from the community. The latter was a drastic step and was in most cases meted out for a limited period. It meant that a person forced to leave the village became an outcaste and lost his right to practise his profession. Such a measure was intended as a deterrent to violation of caste norms.