Examine the Panchayat system of the Mughal Empire.

1.	Examine the Panchayat system of the Mughal Empire.
Answer» Solution :The panchayat sytem of the Mughals: (i) The village panchayat was an assembly of elders, with hereditary rights. (ii) In mixed-caste villages, the panchayat was usually a heterogencous body The panchayat was headed by a headman known as muqaddam or mandal. chosen through the consensus of the clders and zamindar. (iv) Headmen held office as long as they enjoyed the confideuce of the village elders. (v) The chief function of the headman was to supervise the preparation of village accounts, assisted by the accountant or patwari. (VI) Theanchayat derived its funds from common financial pool. (vii) Expenses for community welfare activities such as digging a canal, tiding over floods were ALSO met from these funds. (viii) One impor tant function of the panchayat was to ensute the caste BOUNDARIES among the communities inhabiting the village were upheld. (ix) In eastern India all marriages were held in the presence of mandals. (x) Panchayats also had the authority to levy fines and inflict more SERIOUS forms of punishment LIKE expulsion from the community.

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