Correct Option
The correct option is 1 only
Explanation
In the Mughal agrarian system, peasants (raiyats or muzarian) were broadly divided into two categories based on their residency and land rights: Khud-kashta and Pahi-kashta. This classification defined their relationship with the land and the village community.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: Khud-kashta were resident cultivators. They lived in the village where they held their lands. They owned their own agricultural implements (such as ploughs and bullocks) and possessed hereditary rights over their land as long as they paid the revenue. They formed the core of the village community.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: Pahi-kashta were non-resident cultivators. They were peasants who cultivated lands in a village different from the one where they resided. They were not hereditary owners of the land in the village where they worked; instead, they cultivated land on a contractual basis. They often moved to other villages due to favorable revenue terms or economic distress.
Key Takeaway
Khud-kashta refers to self-cultivating peasants residing in their own village with hereditary rights, whereas Pahi-kashta refers to outsiders or non-resident cultivators working on contractual terms.