Why were the Jati Panchayats formed during 16th and 17th centuries? Explain their functions and authority.
(i) The decision of the panchayat in conflicts between lower-caste peasants and state officials or the local zamindars, could vary from case to case. In cases of excessive revenue demands, the panchayat after suggested compromise.
(ii) In addition to the village panchayat each caste or jati in the villages had its own Jati Panchayat. These panchayats wielded considerable power in rural society. In Rajasthan Jati Panchayats arbitrated civil disputes between members of different castes. They mediated in contested claims on land, decided whether marriages were performed according to the norms laid down by a particular caste group, determined who had ritual precedence in village functions, and so on. In most cases, except in matters of criminal justice, the state respect the decisions of Jati Panchayats.
(iii) Archival records from western India-notably Rajasthan and Maharashtra - contain petitions presented to the Panchayat complaining about extortionate taxation or the demand for unpaid labour (begar) imposed by the “superior” castes or officials of the state. These petitions were usually made by villagers, from the lowest ranks of rural society. Often petitions were made collectively as well, by a caste group or a community protesting against what they considered were morally illegitimate demands on the part of elite groups. These included excessive tax demands which, especially in times of drought or other disasters, endangered the peasants subsistence.
