Which of the following statements about the village community of the…

Which of the following statements about the village community of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are correct?

(A) There was individual ownership of assets in the village.
(B) There were deep inequities based on caste and gender distinctions.
(C) The affairs of the village were settled by all households sitting as equals.
(D) A group of powerful individuals had the authority to dispense justice.
(E) Trade between villages and towns had not yet brought cash into village dealings.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A, B and D only

(A) There was individual ownership of assets in the village. — Correct. The village was not a collective of equals; there was individual ownership of assets.

(B) There were deep inequities based on caste and gender distinctions. — Correct. The village had deep inequities based on caste and gender.

(C) The affairs of the village were settled by all households sitting as equals. — Incorrect. A group of powerful individuals decided village affairs and exploited the weaker sections, so households did not decide as equals.

(D) A group of powerful individuals had the authority to dispense justice. — Correct. The same powerful group had the authority to dispense justice.

(E) Trade between villages and towns had not yet brought cash into village dealings. — Incorrect. A cash nexus had already developed through trade between villages and towns, and many producers were paid in cash.

NCERT (2026-27): “2.4 A “little republic”?
How does one understand the significance of the village community? Some British officials in the nineteenth century saw the village as a “little republic” made up of fraternal partners sharing resources and labour in a collective. However, this was not a sign of rural egalitarianism. There was individual ownership of assets and deep inequities based on caste and gender distinctions. A group of powerful individuals decided the affairs of the village, exploited the weaker sections and had the authority to dispense justice.”

“More importantly, a cash nexus had already developed through trade between villages and towns. In the Mughal heartland too, revenue was assessed and collected in cash. Artisans producing for the export market (for example, weavers) received their advances or wages in cash, as did producers of commercial products like cotton, silk or indigo.”