Question

Explain the role of the Gonda Patla in brief.

Answer 1

Instructions:

• The answer requires the student to first mention the meaning of the term which is that it was a title of a village headman.
• Mention his role in defending the village along with earning the trust of the villagers to get their support.

Solution:
Gonda Patla was a title given to the headmen of certain villages in ancient India. He was the village headman who had the following responsibilities:

• To protect the village against outside attacks and keep the villagers safe.
• To perform rituals in the village and host the guests of the village. He performed the rituals from the income he earned through one day’s labour done on his field by the villagers.
• Since there were no big armies in the villages, he had to depend on the villagers for protection. These villagers in turn only followed the headman if they were convinced that he was working for their welfare.