In the village community of the Mughal-society, the term “mandal” stood for __________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Panchayat headman
The Mughal village community had three parts: the cultivators, the panchayat and the village headman. The panchayat was headed by a headman known as muqaddam or mandal. He was chosen by the consensus of the village elders, the choice was ratified by the zamindar, and he kept his office only as long as the elders trusted him. His main task was to supervise the preparation of the village accounts, with the help of the accountant or patwari.
NCERT (2025-26): “2. The Village Community … We have seen that peasants held their lands in individual ownership. At the same time they belonged to a collective village community as far as many aspects of their social existence were concerned. There were three constituents of this community – the cultivators, the panchayat, and the village headman (muqaddam or mandal).… 2.2 Panchayats and headmen … The panchayat was headed by a headman known as muqaddam or mandal. Some sources suggest that the headman was chosen through the consensus of the village elders, and that this choice had to be ratified by the zamindar. Headmen held office as long as they enjoyed the confidence of the village elders, failing which they could be dismissed by them.…” |