NCERT Class 12 History — Chapter 4: Peasants, Zamindars and the State - Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (c. 16th - 17th centuries)

mcqeasy

In the administrative system of the Ahom kingdom of Assam, the term paiks referred to which of the following categories of people?

Official previous-year question

Verified 1 Aug 2026.

Options

ATraders who dealt in elephants.
BPeople obliged to render military service in exchange for land.
CVillage headmen responsible for tax collection.
DPriests who performed royal rituals.

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Solution

Correct Option

The correct option is People obliged to render military service in exchange for land..

Explanation

The Paik system was the foundational administrative, economic, and military structure of the Ahom Kingdom (1228-1826 CE) in Assam. It functioned as a system of state-organized corvée (forced) labor and militia service.

Analysis of the Paik System

Mandatory Service: The Ahom state relied on the Paiks rather than a large standing army. Every able-bodied adult male (excluding nobles, priests, and certain professionals) was registered as a Paik and was obliged to serve the state.
Rotational System: Paiks were organized into units called gots, typically consisting of four members. Service was rotational; while one member of the got served the king (in military campaigns or public works like building dams and roads), the remaining members looked after his land and family.
Land for Service: In exchange for their mandatory service, Paiks were not paid in cash. Instead, they were allotted state-owned wet rice cultivation land, known as paikan land, which was tax-free.
Administrative Control: The system ensured that the state had a steady supply of labor and soldiers without draining the treasury. Census records were strictly maintained to manage the rotation and land allocation.

Therefore, the Paiks were essentially subjects obliged to render military and civil service in exchange for land rights.

Key Takeaway

The Paik system was the backbone of the Ahom kingdom, characterized by compulsory rotational labor and military service provided by adult males in return for tax-free land allotments.

Your note

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Correct Option

The correct option is People obliged to render military service in exchange for land..

Explanation

Analysis of the Paik System

Mandatory Service: The Ahom state relied on the Paiks rather than a large standing army. Every able-bodied adult male (excluding nobles, priests, and certain professionals) was registered as a Paik and was obliged to serve the state.
Rotational System: Paiks were organized into units called gots, typically consisting of four members. Service was rotational; while one member of the got served the king (in military campaigns or public works like building dams and roads), the remaining members looked after his land and family.
Land for Service: In exchange for their mandatory service, Paiks were not paid in cash. Instead, they were allotted state-owned wet rice cultivation land, known as paikan land, which was tax-free.
Administrative Control: The system ensured that the state had a steady supply of labor and soldiers without draining the treasury. Census records were strictly maintained to manage the rotation and land allocation.

Therefore, the Paiks were essentially subjects obliged to render military and civil service in exchange for land rights.

Key Takeaway

The Paik system was the backbone of the Ahom kingdom, characterized by compulsory rotational labor and military service provided by adult males in return for tax-free land allotments.