Passage-1

“The ryots first place spies on the boundaries of their villages to see if any Government officers come, and to give timely intimation of their arrival to the offenders. They then assemble in a body and go to the houses of their creditors, and demand from them a surrender of their bonds and other documents, and threaten them in case of refusal with assault and plunder. If any Government officer happens to approach the villages where the above is taking place, the spies give intimation to the offenders and the latter disperse in time.”

The main purpose of this passage is to:
(a) Illustrate the various duties and challenges faced by government officers in maintaining order in rural communities.
(b) Provide a historical account of a specific peasant rebellion and its eventual outcome.
(c) Detail a specific methodology of an organized peasant resistance.
(d) Advocate for stronger legal protections for creditors against coercive actions by indebted ryots.

Question

Passage-1

&ldquo;The ryots first place spies on the boundaries of their villages to see if any Government officers come, and to give timely intimation of their arrival to the offenders. They then assemble in a body and go to the houses of their creditors, and demand from them a surrender of their bonds and other documents, and threaten them in case of refusal with assault and plunder. If any Government officer happens to approach the villages where the above is taking place, the spies give intimation to the offenders and the latter disperse in time.&rdquo;

The main purpose of this passage is to:
(a) Illustrate the various duties and challenges faced by government officers in maintaining order in rural communities.
(b) Provide a historical account of a specific peasant rebellion and its eventual outcome.
(c) Detail a specific methodology of an organized peasant resistance.
(d) Advocate for stronger legal protections for creditors against coercive actions by indebted ryots.

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement (a) is not correct. The passage focuses on the ryots' perspective and actions; the government officers are portrayed as an external force to be evaded, not the subject whose duties are being illustrated.

Statement (b) is not correct. The passage describes a recurring pattern of action ("The ryots first place spies... They then assemble...") rather than a specific, singular historical rebellion with a detailed outcome.

Statement (c) is correct. The passage meticulously describes the steps involved in the ryots' actions: surveillance ("spies"), assembly, confrontation ("demand...surrender," "threaten"), and evasion tactics ("spies give intimation...disperse"). This details their specific methodology.

Statement (d) is not correct. The passage is descriptive of the ryots' actions. It does not take an advocacy stance for creditors or propose legal reforms from their perspective.

Indian Society

Peasant Movements

Website Link

Test Your Knowledge

Student Resources


M Question 1	⏱ 0
Passage-1 “The ryots first place spies on the boundaries of their villages to see if any Government officers come, and to give timely intimation of their arrival to the offenders. They then assemble in a body and go to the houses of their creditors, and demand from them a surrender of their bonds and other documents, and threaten them in case of refusal with assault and plunder. If any Government officer happens to approach the villages where the above is taking place, the spies give intimation to the offenders and the latter disperse in time.” The main purpose of this passage is to: (a) Illustrate the various duties and challenges faced by government officers in maintaining order in rural communities. (b) Provide a historical account of a specific peasant rebellion and its eventual outcome. (c) Detail a specific methodology of an organized peasant resistance. (d) Advocate for stronger legal protections for creditors against coercive actions by indebted ryots.