Question:
Given below are two statements:
Statement I: The meanest and most onerous kind of forced labour was to carry loads known as ‘Pund Begar’.
Statement II: The Begar forms in Chamba State were five in number called ‘Panj Haqq.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
(A) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
(B) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
(C) Statement I is correct and Statement II is incorrect
(D) Statement I is incorrect and Statement II is correct
Answer : (C) Statement I is correct and Statement II is incorrect
Analysis of the Statements
Here’s a look at the historical context of the ‘Begar’ system in the Himachali princely states.
- Statement I: The meanest and most onerous kind of forced labour was to carry loads known as ‘Pund Begar’.
- This is correct 👍. Begar was a system of forced labor where subjects of a princely state were compelled to work for the ruler or government officials without payment. ‘Pund Begar’ was a specific and deeply resented form of this practice. It involved the forced porterage of luggage, mail, and supplies for touring officials, soldiers, and other dignitaries. It was considered the ‘meanest and most onerous’ because it was physically exhausting, humiliating, and could pull farmers away from their crucial agricultural work at a moment’s notice.
- Statement II: The Begar forms in Chamba State were five in number called ‘Panj Haqq.
- This is incorrect. While the state of Chamba had numerous forms of forced labor and cesses (taxes), they were not formally categorized into a group of five known as ‘Panj Haqq’ (which translates to ‘Five Dues’ or ‘Five Rights’). The types of begar were varied and numerous, including athwara begar (agricultural labor), road construction, and carrying loads, but there is no historical evidence of them being officially grouped under the name ‘Panj Haqq’.