Question

Examine the various functions of the Panchayats during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Answer 1

In communities in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, panchayats performed a variety of tasks. To preserve social order and uphold caste norms, they enforced caste boundaries, monitored village affairs, managed funds for shared uses like entertaining revenue officials and disaster relief, monitored community members' behavior, and imposed fines or punishments, such as temporary expulsion. The village elders frequently gave their approval for the headman to oversee accounting and take a significant part in decision-making.