Aspirant Academy

History

Model Answer Frameworks

Revenue and Administrative Systems, Changing Patterns

Paper I · Unit 1 Section 11 of 15 0 PYQs 41 min
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Model Answer Frameworks

5-Mark Answer Template (50 words)

Question (modelled on 2023 PYQ style): What were Dyodhidars in the Rajput administrative system?

Model Answer:

Dyodhidars were palace gate-keepers and court protocol officers in Rajput states, particularly Jodhpur and Jaipur. Derived from dyodhi (threshold/gateway), they controlled ruler access, maintained firman records, and managed royal ceremonies. Beyond ceremonial roles, they functioned as administrative intermediaries — filtering court petitions and relaying communications — making them influential functionaries in Rajput governance.

Word count: ~52 words | Word budget: Definition (10) + Etymology/context (10) + Functions (20) + Administrative significance (12)

Question (alternative 5-mark): What was the Rekh system of Marwar?

Model Answer:

Rekh was the standard revenue assessment unit for villages in Marwar (Jodhpur state). Each village received a fixed rekh value based on cultivated area, soil quality, and crop type; revenue demand was calculated proportionally. Munhata Nainsi's Vigat (c. 1664–65) systematically records rekh values for thousands of Marwar villages, making it medieval Rajasthan's primary revenue document.

Word count: ~52 words | Word budget: Definition (15) + Methodology (20) + Source citation (17)

10-Mark Answer Template (150 words)

Question (modelled on 2024 PYQ): Describe the revenue system of Medieval Rajasthan.

Model Answer:

Introduction: Medieval Rajasthan's revenue system was a feudal jagirdari framework modified by Mughal influence, characterised by three categories of land and layered fiscal extractions.

Key Points:

  1. Tripartite land structure: Jagir (military-service assignments to nobles), Khalisa (crown land under direct state management), and Bhom (hereditary Bhomia village land) formed the foundation. Jagir constituted approximately 70–75% of Marwar's assessed territory.

  2. Assessment mechanisms: Marwar used the Rekh system (village-level revenue units) documented in Munhata Nainsi's Vigat (c. 1664–65). Mughal-influenced states like Amber adopted Todar Mal's Dahsala (10-year average) and Zabt (field measurement) systems from 1580 onward.

  3. Fiscal extractions: Beyond basic Lagaan, cultivators bore Begar (forced labour), Lagh-bhag (produce cesses), Bhent (ceremonial gifts), and Rahdari (transit tolls). In Mewar's Bijolia pargana, 84 distinct cesses were documented by Vijay Singh Pathik (1916).

  4. Administrative officers: Diwan (chief revenue head) → Faujdar (district) → Hakim (sub-district) → Patwari (village records).

Conclusion: British Settlement Operations from 1870s onward replaced customary assessment with documented tenure, culminating in the Jagirdari Abolition Act, 1952 — transforming Rajasthan's feudal revenue order into a modern tenancy system.

Word count: ~155 words