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.
Which statement about the make-up of such a body is correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It represented various castes, though the menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to sit in it
Option (1) It was usually drawn from a single dominant caste, though other castes could bring disputes before it — Incorrect. In mixed-caste villages the panchayat was usually a heterogeneous body that represented various castes and communities.
Option (2) It represented various castes, though the menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to sit in it — Correct. The panchayat was an <strong>oligarchy</strong>: it <strong>represented various castes and communities</strong>, but the village menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to be represented.
Option (3) It was made up of khud-kashta peasants, though pahi-kashta cultivators could join its meetings — Incorrect. The panchayat was an assembly of elders, usually important people with hereditary rights over their property, drawn from various castes and communities; khud-kashta and pahi-kashta are two kinds of peasants.
Option (4) It drew in the menial-cum-agricultural workers too, though the elders kept the final say — Incorrect. The village menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to be represented in the panchayat.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.2 Panchayats and headmen |