Answer:
(i) Structure: The village panchayats were an assembly of elders. However, in mixed-caste villages the panchayats were usually a heterogenosu body. The panchayats were headed by a headman known as muqaddam or Mandal. Headmen used to hold their respective offices as long as they enjoyed the confidence of the village elders, failing which they could be dismissed by the village elders. The main function of the headman was to supervise the preparation of village accounts, assisted by the patwari of the panchayat. (ii) Collection of funds: The panchayat derived its funds from contributions made by individuals to a common financial pool. These funds were used for meeting the costs of entertaining revenue officials who visited the village from time to time. Expenses for community welfare activities such as tiding over natural calamities were also met from these funds. The funds were also deployed in construction of a bund or digging a canal. (iii) Regarding caste boundaries: One of the most important function of the panchayat was to ensure that caste boundaries among the various communities inhabiting the village were upheld. In eastern India all marriages were held in the presence of the mandal. The duty of the village headman was to oversee the conduct of the members of the village community so as to prevent any offence against their caste. (iv) Authority to levy fines: The Panchayats had the authority to levy fines and inflict more serious forms of punishment like expulsion from the community. These meant that the person was forced to leave the village and become an out caste and he lost the right to practice his profession. Such a measure was taken as a violation of caste norms.
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