developed 4000 3500 3000 2500 » 1000 50 ICE 500 1000) 1500 0 The period during ization flo Time line of Mesopotamian Civilisation wir 1B EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION ilization developed in the valley of river Nile provided the following advantages: This great river waters the land along its banks. Ever the river would overflow its banks and the entire valley would become a vast lake. In due course the water would recede, leaving behind a deposit of black, fertile soil all o fertile that crops grewe ‘of the Nile’. Kingdom and the King above reasons that the great ancient Greek historian F Meer: political periods of ancient Egypt were the Old Kingdom B10 0 ie Middle Kingdom (2060 -1785 BC) and the New Kingdom (1580-1 K (The king was called the Pharaoh. [his word means king as Well as ‘great house’ where the king-tived, The pharaoh “had absolute power over the subjects, mainly because the People believed that pharaohs descended from gods or were gods themselves. \The pharaohs appointed priests and chief \Ministers and even controlled the army Chief Features of the Egyptian Civilization Society Mhe Egyptian society was divided into three classes. The upper class of people, below the pharaoh, comprised of the priests, the court nobility and the landed nobility. They lived Patuxurious life in palatial houses. Women of the upper class enjoyed a favoured place in society because all landed property “descencted-from mother to daughter instead of from father to son-as in other cultures. The middle class included the rich merchants, traders, skilled artisans, jewellers, and those who worked with leather and cloth and directed the construction of tombs and palaces. Professional people like teachers, doctors and writers of letters and documents were also included in the middle class. “The lower class was made up of slaves—usually war captives and free labourers.highly skilled art. A decorated stone box, sacrophagus, inside which mummies were put and buried in ancient Egypt Religious Beliefs and Religion The Egyptians believed that there was life after death. They believed that the bodymust~be- preserved even after death so that the soul m; live on within it. The process of preserving the body, called mummification, developed™into ay a Belief about life after death led the Egyptians Eayplian doctors embalming a corpse to build large tombs in the form of pyramids, in wh ich they kept the bodies of the pharaohs. among them were Amon-Re—the Sun God and Orisis—Lord of the Afterlife. The famous temple of the Sun god is at Karnale: Hs hall is larger than a football field-and’ is Supported by- The Egyptians believed in many gods but the most important columns. The Egyptians built a number of magnificent buildings, The Pest specimen of their architecture are the great pyramid> Pyramids are huge structuresof stone: ‘They were royal tombs in which the Egyptians kept the body of their dead kings, Do You Know? Ss The Great pyramid at Giza was built by the Pharaoh Khufu. Itis the largest of al, Itwas built by one lakh slaves who worked continuously for 20 years. More than 20 lakh blocks of limestone, weighing more than 2 tons, were cut and fitted into the shape of a pyramid, whose base was a 785 feet long and pointed top was 481 feet high. Its one of the Seven Wonders of the We Another remarkable and unique, sp. each bout forld. Sphinx, Which is a legendary figure. According to the Greek mythology, the Sphinx was a'monster that had a man’s héad, lion's body, serpent's tail and an eagle's wings. It is carved out of a single huge stone block. | History ¢ 17 ecimen_of the Egyptian architecture is the __P were able to develop @ al known as faience, which was beads, tiles, figurines, etc; Scat Interesting Fact , mentioned that the Indus Valley people also used faience to make and tiny vessels. The use of this material during the Egyptian Ge fact that although these civilizations developed in their own regions, but they had a) Art of Writing The Egyptians were one of the first to flop the art of writing. Between 4000 and 3000 BC, the Egyptians developed a kind of picture writing known as hieroglyphics which means sacred writing, ; Twas considered sacred because this was | generally used for religious purposes First the writings consisted of pictures representing objects, then of signs representing ideas. Ae 5 ag Sah The Egyptians did not create an alphabetical system in the right sense of the term. However, later on| they developed a simplified alphabet with 24 mants but no vowels. ee In the beginning, the Egyptians wrote on clay tablets, stones or walls, but on they made paper) The first Egyptian books were written as early as 4000 a material made fraptfRé papyrus plant, a kind of wat : along the river Nile. water reed that grew in m Hieroglyphics (Picture writing) They were also able to make ink with wat ter thicker ; : mineral dyes. A pointed reed was used as a ven en tt BUM ¥ a pen. - a 18 @ Historyid roperties Of certain herbs, (1) This scene depicts the . cs also_knew how to set brok of electro-magnetic forces. en_bones, ———— Sculpture also depicts the empt perform surgeries and cure wounds. of magneto-hydrodynamic p * With the sa of-their knowledge of astronomy, th a e hey could flood Do You Know? By 1000 BC, the glory and splendour of the Egyptian Civilization and empi which flourished for more than 2000 years, declined. Actually, the decline of empire had started witht the collapse of the New Kingdom. Intemal Fevolts and foreign invasion weakened the mighly empire. Thus, this great empire OSIM fo an a j é —— The glory of Egypt eclined during this ime Old Kingdom 4 pare of Eeypt |New kingdom vf pt pee | et Fale Pres Day Sanne 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 ICE 500 1000 1500. 2000 Time line of Egyptian CivilizationThe Mauryan Empire 90! 1. Chronological: arrangement or writing of events etc. according to date ¥ 2. Edict: an official order or statement given by somebody in power Mé 3. Abdicate: to renounce (a post or office), to step down | a 4, Renounce: to give up a title or position by an official announcement : 3 5. Engrave: to cut words or designs on wood, stone, metal, rocks etc. that cannot be erased | pe 6. Autocrat: an absolute sovereign or rule | in 7. Polygamy: the p' of having more than one wife at a time Ki IMPORTANCE OF THE MAURYA MP! th The establishment o: fauryan empire is a very important event of Indiay ry for nT ng r | in * With the establishm ryan empire the chronological writing of the} C story ndia 1entic records of Indian history priot| th to that. The my called the first historical empire of} ancient Ind: * With the establ n dynasty, the political unity of north India) 1 The mighty Mauryan rulers established theit authority over ndia and bound it in political unity. © The Mauryan rulers not on! blished a vast empire, they also providedia uniform efficient system of administration. The system of administration started by the Mauryas remained the basis of administration of India for long, with minor change: * The peace and prosperity during the Mauryan rule resulted in the development of various arts. How Mauryan Empire was Established Magadha was a powerful kingdom. It was being ruled by Dhana Nanda at the till of Alexander's invasion. His treasury was full and his army was mighty. Howev@ he was unpopular among his subjects becatise of his habits. 68n : quoted by many : witeal ; us a lot of information about the poldeitagiitee ee pe “Another important source of informati the , ition for this period if or Chanakya. He has given a detailed acter of th fhe political and military systems of those times, Besides the above, the inscriptions of Ashoka provide a lot of information about the various aspects of the Mauryan society and admin Coins of the Mauryan period are a proof of the prosperity of the the condition of people. e Buddhist texts mention about an incident, Chandragupta was playing with his friends. He himself as a king and his friends acted as his . He sat on a raised platform and started g the cases of some criminals. It was then nakya saw him and was much impressed ala . He took Chandragupta along with him cae ‘him like a prince for a few years. Later , me, he enthroned him abewest of the Indus were ruled by one of Al euc ‘Nikator. Chandragupta led a huge force and defeated Tt was a crushing defeat for Seleucus, who was forced to give up (Herat, Kabul and Kandahar) to Chandragupta. A treaty was signed be Kabel Purushapura , AFGHANISTAN [Ea Unter Chandzagupla iB) Wont ChantngeptsChandragupta’s Ideal of Kingship 1. Kingship: Kautilya divided the king's day into ight parts. It was the king’s duty to pay close attention to people's welfare, judicial administration and military activities. E Exation: Kautilya said that taxes must be reasonable, The ruler should act like a bee which collects honey without causing damage to the plant or flower. The xth of the produce, which could be paid in cash or kind, The king also collected taxes on various trades, Military Organisation: The Mauryans had a large standing army. Megaathentll puts the strength of forces at 6,00,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry and 9,000 war elephants. In addition, the king had 2000 war chariots and also a small navy. Administration of the Capital: Megasthenes has given details of the says that the city had an efficient local government. The city was administered by a municipal body, peace and prosperity prevailed throughout the administration of Pataliputra. He These sources confirm that kingdom. BINDUSARA King Bindusara ruled for about 25 years from 297 to 273 BC. Not much is known, about his reign and his achievements. But different accounts confirm that he continued his father’s policy of conquests and expansion. He maintained peace and order in his vast empire. ASHOKA, THE GREAT Bindusara was succeeded by his son, Ashoka, who ruled from 273 to 232 B e years he did not follow the policy of expansion and co the first tw h t nh S26 5c he doe Yo ete hemp by congue ling. Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea (>) ASHOK’s EMPIRE ge Rock Edicts © Pillar Edicts Indian Ocean The Empire of Ashoka The Kalinga War Kalinga was important because it controlled both the land and Sea-routes to south India. Hence, Ashoka considered it necessary to make it a part of the Mauryan empire. Although Kalinga had a powerful army, Ashoka crushed it completely. However, Ashoka could not forget the horrors of the fierce battle. Thousands of people on both the sides had been killed. The sight of orphans and widows was all the more horrible. Kalinga war was the turning point in Ashoka’s life. He resolved to renounce war as a means of conople should practise ahimsa. Hi royal kitchen as well. a aan Father and mother should be obeyed and a y respected. Pupils . Masters should treat their slaves and servants with kindness. . People should show toleration for the religious beliefs of others. remember that all religions have the same goal. . People perform many ceremonies on the occasion of child birth or ‘All these ceremonies are worthless. Instead, they should spread directions. That is the best ceremony and the best gift. | Ashoka practised what he preached. He visited the holy places as Mahatma Buddha, such as Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Sarnath: During to Brahmins and the Buddhist monks alike: visits, he gave gifts Principles of dhamma were engraved on rocks and pillars. Machoka ordered his officials to teach people, aboulaMlaiili constructed wells and planted trees for the comfort of travellers. were opened for people 4. Aspecial class of officers was appointed to monitor the morals ‘as well as to spread dhamma. They were also to see that no an slaughtered. These officers were called Dhamma Mahamatis Missionaries were sent to Macedonia. Ashoka sent his Som Bee kook. was. due o.Ashoka’s cores and animals.various forms of Prakfi and the script ch is written from left to right), from which Importance of Edicts The edicts are of great importance. a The edicts tell us about Ashoka’s past life and his thoughts on religion as the government policies. The edicts explain to us the fundamental principles of Dhamma. . The source of information about the Kalinga war is from an edict, The edicts give us an idea of the extent of Ashoka’s empire. They cover the whole of India. The edicts also tell us that Pali or Prakit was the language of the people. 1 were written in Brahmi script THE MAURYAN ADN TheWrthashastra of Kautilya, thé Ludika of Me| give a detailed account of the Mauryan admin The Central Administratic The king was at the head of the administration. He was the supreme authori executive, legislative, judicial and military matters. He was the Chief Justice as as the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. His powers were unlimited, he did not behave like an autocrat. He ruled according to dharma. The kings described in this period as devanampriya, that is, the beloved of the King used to take the advice of his ministers, Provincial and Local Administration The empire of Ashoka was divided into four major provinces, Each p under a prince or a member of the royal family having the official or a governor, Each province was divided into a number of dist the district was called sthanika, meaning a local official,The polish of Ashoka’s pillars is matchless. Their bag confused a traveller so much that he thought they were of brass. — jaiaont ae MESURE ract The lion capital of Sarnath © On the upper portion of the lion has been adopted by the capital of the Sarnath Pillar there are Indian Republic as its National _figures of four lions standing back Emblem. The figure of the four to back. However, a very interesting lions is used on the Indian fact is that one can never see all the Currency. The wheel is shown 4 lions together, even when viewed on the national flag. from different angles. At a time, only three lions will be visible. ECLINE OF TH After the death of Ashoka around 232 BC, the Mauryan empire started (0 There are several reasons for the break-up of the empire €ak Succes The Mauryan empire was very vast. The mighty emperors not only expanded also kept it intact. However, in the hands of Ashoka’s weak successors it crumbling. w\_ King Brihadrath is known to be the last Mauryan ruler. In 185 BC ~ -tnurdered by his own Com: ander-in-Chief Pushyamitra Sunga in gé _Arovincial Revolts| | of lar ine. but ted Greek Invasions weakness o pire er oo B : sy Smpue encouraged the Greeks to re-establish their authority. e 1s had ruled in north-western India after Alexander left, Chandragupta ‘an empire by defeating them. As the empire weakened they got the opportunity to regain their lost position . had established the Maury Ash Some scholars are of the o fter the Kalinga war, Ashoka not only adopted tunced the policy of war, but he also disbanded his army. His ire and ultimately led to its decline. But \shoka himself gave up the policy of Buddhism an, policy of non-v this is only partially true, because alth war, we do not have any e nce ve that he also disbanded the army. On the basis of the mn, we can say that weakness of Ashoka’s successors was the ™ ne of the mighty empire established by Chandragupta sharath, Salisuk all were weak kings about whom we d g. s mitra Sunga killed Brihadrath and established a new ¢ he Sunga dynasty. TRys, came to an end the first historical empire of the MaFamous Kalinga war took place. 18s BC Pushyemsitra Sunga billed the last Mauryan ruler Brihadrath and: ‘Sunga dynasty Ei mmeertance of the Mauryan Empire: Th OF Inca. Chronc! empire wit! empire 3. Ashoka, the Great: 4: abo The Kalinga war of 262 BC brought sm and renounced war for all good religions. Ashoka’s aika of Megasthenes give Social and Economic condition of women had * prosperity, Guilds managed h Pillar of Ashoka. The ‘al Emblem of India, of provincial governors, decline. Mauryan General, Pushyamitra choice questions: 1. Chandragupta defeated Seleucus in the year: (b) 325 BC (d) 300 BCre iain the last Mauryan ruler Brihadrath? a ~~ @) Samprati ©) i et ke yamitra Chai (©) Kunal Non of the above fe Pa the following was not a reason for the deci Om ‘Mauryan empire? (a) Provinical revolts (b) Greek invasions (©) Chandragupta’s weakness (d) Weak Successors 4. Ashoka invaded Kalinga in the year: (a) 297 BC (b) 273 BC (0-261 BC (a) 251 BC Il. Fill in the blanks: 1. Chandragupta ascended the throne in 3Q4 gc 2 Bindusara was the son of Charehaqul and father of Asal 9. Pataliputra was administered by ~ & committees of & members each. 4. The Greek General Al®ecry\pt sent his ambassador Megasthenes to Chandragupta’s court. Nn wn Ae peSshoka sent his son! and daughter ~__ 0am spread his Dhamma. as its national 6. The Indian Republic has adopted the Lion Capital of 6 emblem, 7. Pushyamitra Killed the last Mauryan ruler Brihadrath and founded the GU: ae dynasty 0 1. The author of Arthashastra. 2. The ruler who founded the Mauryan dynasty 3. The author of Indika 4. The officers who were apppointed by Ashoka to spread dhamma.})\newew 5. The general of Alexander whom Chandragupta defeated IV. Mark 1, Chandragupta established the Mauryan dynasty with the help of Chanakya. me 2. Chandragupta Maurya was succeeded by his son Ashoka. 3. Ashoka renounced war because he was badly wounded in the battle of Kalinga. F= 4. Brahmi script is written from left to right. ~~ 5. Land tax was one-sixth of the produce during the Mauryan rule. 6. The Mauryan army consisted of infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots. + History + 79(by the last M (©) Arthashastra ” (4) Indika 3 "1. Who was Megasthenes? 2. Who may be called the first historical emperor of Indi _ 3. Who was Ashoka’s father? . How do you associate the Lion Capital of the Sarnath Pillar with mo 3. Who was Chanakya? What were his other names? is 3. From which language is the word ‘dhamma’ derived? . Mention two means by which Ashoka tried to spread his ‘dhamma’, 3. Who were Dhamma Mahamatra |. Which was the most important pillar of Ashoka? Where is it situated g |. Write a note on merchant guilds . Write a note on city administration under the Mauryas. VIL Long answer qi 1. How did Chandragupta establish and expand the Mauryan e a ; : i 5 : i Ashoka invade Kalinga? How did the battle affect1. Emoluments: fee from employment "2. Casting Vote: A Casting Vote is the vote that the Chairperson gives when an equal n of votes have been given for and against 2 proposal. This Vote decides whether or not ‘the proposal will be passed. 2, Excofficio: It means by virtue of his office. It indicates that someone is eligible to, member of a body bec: position 4. Grants-in-aid: Mo nment as help fice WHAT IS MEANT BY LOCAL S OVERNMENT? India is a vast country. The Constitution distributes powers between Union and State governments. At the same time it s about the powers and functions of Panchayats and Municipalities or Municipal Corporations also. People living im rural and urban areas closely interact with these bodies. These institutions Were named Local Self-Government. Thus local self-government means an elected body serving as an administrative unit for local affairs, such as health and sanitation, drinking water, roads and bridges, primary and secondary education and cultural activities. Self-Government Importance or Advantages of Loc The necessity and importance of local government may be explained as follows: 1. These bodies ensure democracy at the lowest level. Their members are elected i from all sections of the local community. Local Self-Government pro . opportunity to the people to govern themselves. ee 2. Local bodies provide a good training to manage national or state a on in life. Many national leaders began their public career as n bodies. bodies know the local problems much better than or State governments. Local matters such as saPanchayat and Municipal elections. Ee ayati Raj bodies now perform functions like: (a) Rural Elect Rural Housing, and (c) Welfare of the weaker sections (the SCs and Earlier such tasks were carried out only by the state government. 7. In each state a Finance Commission has been established. It deter Principles on the basis of which funds are given to Panchayati Raj b the state government. RURAL LOCAL BODIES At the village level, two bodies have been set up—Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat. 1. Gram Sabha: The Gram Sabha is like the General Assembly of the village. Each resident of the village, who has attained the age of 18 years, is a member of the Gram Sabha. It elects the Gram Pradhan Beg ctor of the Gram Sabha are: (a) | fo approve the budget for the year, and Gram Sabha (b) to consider new taxes which the Gram Panchayat may like to levy. 2. Gram Panchayat: The Gram Panchayat is like an Executive body of the Gram Sabha. Its members are elected by the Gram Sabha, ic., all adult persons. The Gram Pradhan is the ex-officio member of the Gram Panchayat. Every Panchayat has a Sarpanch, who is elected by the Gram Sabha He presides ve ‘meetings of the Gram Panchayat. The Gram Pradhan, the Sarpanch and the} other Panch are all honorary members. ram Panchayat is a small body having ats are reserved‘The Sarpanch The Gram Panchayat usually meets once a month. the Sarpanch. All decisions are taken by majority vo number of votes has been given for and against a proposal), Casting Vote. This Vote decides whether or not the proposal W’ The meeting is presided o te. In case of a tie (when an the Sarpanch give @ passed. Panchayat Secretary The Panchayat Secretary is a permanent salaried employee. His job is to keep recon fe keeps accounts \ of all meetings of the Gram Sabha and the Gram Panchayat iqhese bodies. He also performs the following jobs—writing Tetters to Gove officials, answering letters or phone calls and arranging meetings of the Gram and the Gram Panchayat FUNCTIONS OF THE GRA} NC T The Gram Panchayats usually perform two kinds of functions. Compulsory Functions The compulsory functions of a Gram Panchayat are: (@) Provision of safe: drinking water, sanitation and health care facilities im village; , 7 (ii) To maintain roads and bridges; (iii) To provide street lighting; (iv) Arrangements for primary education; fo (v) To maintain public wells and tanks.Functions of the Panchayat Optional Functions An optional function is one which the Panchayat can perform only when it hhas sufficient funds for the same. The Optional or voluntary functions of Gram Panchayat are: (@ Maintaining health centres and dispensaries; fii) Welfare of the weaker sections; i) To build and run a Secondary School;An important function of the Panchayats is to secure prompt and inexp to the villagers. In some States, Panchayat itself acts as a Court of Lay others there is a Nyaya Panchayat for a group of villages. Each village members to the Nyaya Panchayat. A Nyaya Panchayat isa small village courtylt deals with minor civil and e cases such as petty thefts, cheating and beating someone. A Panchayat has no, send anybody to jail; it can only impose a fine up to & 1000. ~ Usefulness of the Nyaya Panchayat: The Nyaya Panchayats have helped in many ways. A- They provide prompt and inexpensive justice. The parties do not need Ie to plead their case in Nyaya Panchayats —2. Usually both the parties feel that they have been treated fairly. 3. If anybody feels dissatisfied with Nyaya Panchayat’s decision, he can aj a higher Court and request that Court to change it. Organization of a Village Panchayat The Gram Sabha 4 Passes Annual Budget , The Gram Panchayat Overall development of a village AT THE BLOCK LEVEL At the Block level, there exists the Panchayat Samiti to all the Village Panchayats in each E il ici gains.Composition of Panchayat Samitis Block or Panchayat Samitis are known by different names in different as ‘Kshetra Samiti’ (Area Committee), ‘Janpada Panchayats’, “Taluka Fa ‘Panchayat Samitis” AIM We-Sarpanchas (PRESTents) OP the te ex-officio members of the Panchayat Samiti. The Samiti includes many * other persons, Such‘as the Chairpersons of the Nagar Panchayats of that area, the MLAs of that area and members of the Zila Parishad from that Block least Seals WOUIE Be Feserved fOr-womiGn, The Scheduled”Castes and the Tribes shall have Tepresentation in proportion to their population: Mee Panchayat Samiti has a term of 5 years The The Chief Administrative ¢ Scheduled Samiti elects its own Chairperson. Officer of the Panch ‘ayat Samiti is known as the Block fe Development Officer fe in \ e “ Functiqns of the Panu at The Panchayat Samitis perform Many functions. These are as follows: " 1. More than three thousand Community Health Centres (CHCs) have been set i up to provide health services to the villagers, 2, Development of rural roads and regulation of m arket are the chief responsibilities of a Panchayat Samiti s 3. The functions relating to agriculture inc lude the provision of improved seeds and chemical fertilizers. ; 4. Handlooms, handicrafts and villa ge industries should be promoted in order to increase job opportunities The Panchayat Sami hould promote the welfare of SCs and STs and other ganwadis’ have been set up in rural areas, 6. The Panchayat Samiti supervises th examines the Budget of the Panch: weaker section: e work of the Gram Panchayats. The Samiti ayats and may make suitable modifications init. 7 Under the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), the state Government assigns many functions to the Zila Parishad (District Board). The Zila Parishad issues directions to the Panchayat Samitis, The Samitis are Tequired to improve the over-all quality of life in the rural areas, Sources of Income The main sources of income of Panchayat Samitis are: 1. Grants given by the State Government, . 2. Income arising from the taxes levied by the Samiti, and a “~~~ 3. A fixed percentage of land revenue which is given to the Panchayat Samitis. State governments are now expected to provide sufficient finances to Panchay SamitCee ee 2 jition of the Zila Parishad Generally speaking, a Zila Parishad has these members: P Samitis, the Chairpersons of the Municipal bodies in the , MLAs of the District. A Zila Parishad also has the representatives SCs and the STs. All the Zila Parishads have a 5-year term. Each Zila Parishad has a Chait and a Vice-Chairperson who are elected by the members of the Parishad. Functions of the Zila Parishad The functions of the Zila Parishad are as follows: 1, Construction and maintenance of public roads, bridges and culverts. 2. To develop the land, water and human resources of the area. 3. To establish libraries, educational institutions and dispensaries. 4. To promote the welfare of weaker sections of society. 5. . To undertake developmental functions, such as minor irrigation s housing and rural electrification . To supervise the activities of the Panchayat Samitis and the Gram Pa The Zila Parishad examines and approves the budgets of the Ps Samitis. Zila Parishad (lop District Level) Panchayat Samitis, (intermediate Block Level). aw ‘A Number of Gram Panchayats (ist Ter at Village Level) + The Gram Sabha is a body comprising all the adult members. * In all Panchayats, seats are reserved for SCs, STs and women. “Election Commission for direction and control of eleASSESSMENT OF THE WORKING 0} 3 OF RURAL PANCHAYATI RAJ INSTITUTIONS. 5 The Panchayats have given boost to developmental activities. In : — they have been working very Well for the welfare of local people development of their respective 0 oe ett ees respective areas, However, there are some shortcomings of 1. Blections of P. : - tions of Panchayats have been very irregular and uncertain. 2. These institutions are being tutions are being dominated by rich farmers, money-lenders and upper caste people. 3. The poor and illiterat and illiterate masses do not understand their rights and have no interest in the working, of these institutions 4. District officials, a fa fficials, MPs and MLAs unduly interfere in the working of these institutions. Bes r mosphere and divisive feeling among people, ch is very much against the spirit of Panchayati Raj Institutions. Party politics has created a bad a 6. Lack of financial resources also create problems in their working: However, the recent amendments in the Panchayati Raj Act are likely to solve these problems of these institutions. Pens conte hcl itution has distributed powers between Union and State 1. India is a vast country. The Const governments 2. Importance of Local Self-Government: De know the local problems much better. Panchayati Raj is a system of local self-government administered BY Gram Panchayats at village level, Panchayat Samiti at block level and Zila Parishad at district level. Their term ve for S years. Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and at least one-third of the seats are reserved for women. 3, Functions of the Panchayat: {i) Compulsory Functions: Provision of safe drinking water and sanitation; to maintain roads, street lighting; arrangements for Primary Education, and to maintain public wells and tanks, Optional Functions: Maintaining health centres and dispensaries; welfare of the ining libraries, and arranging cultural activites, weaker sections; maint: yaya Panchayat: Nyaya Panchayat provides prompt and inexpensive justice t0 villagers. mocracy works at the lowest level. Local people: - F , Panchayat Samiti at Block level: Panchayat Samitis are known by different names in different states. Their term is for 5 years. Fi 6. Functions of Panchayat Samiti -stablishing Community. Health Centres; development of : ts, provision of improved seeds and chemical rural roads; regulation of markel i : welfare of SCs, Ts, and other weaket 6°00" to supervise the work of Gram P Civics ¢ 105Jess expensive as compared to the administration of a locality by state machinery and state officials. These bodies consist mostly of honorary members who are paid no salaries. Some are paid very little salaries or have some emoluments. Thus the Local Self-Government is very SS ee oo of a local self-government PANCHAYAT SYS Our ancient civilization was basically a rur Panchayats, looked after the wide variety of things, like village tanks; pa and temples. Civil and other disputes were also settled by the Gram Pancha With the beginning of the British rule, things started changing fast. Importa Panchayats went down because of new laws and new courts. The new Pan al civilization. Village assemblies, Raj Act came into force on April 24, 1993. Three-tier S Panchayati Raj is a system of local self- government consisting of the representatives of the people. It is thus a three-tier structure. In other words, Panchayati Raj Institutions were set up at three levels—at the village level (Gram Panchayats), at block level (Panchayat Samitis) and at the district level | ila Parishad). Ol ae Important Features of Panchayati Raj in India There are some important features of the Panchayati Raj in India. 1. Members of the Gram Panchayat are elected direct! ; by the peop of the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad are not clolad ae a 2. Alll Panchayati Raj bodies have a 5-year term, ha 2 All Panchayati Raj bodies have aS-year tem, ; @ Civics Panchayatd subjects as his own children. He ue. He built hospitals for both men and ani Were constructed for the benefit of the travellers. though Ashoka was himself a follower of Buddhism, he hhave their own religious beliefs. He treated the Jains, the of other sects alike Social Conditions : Caste-system prevailed in the times of the Mauryas. The Brahmins an Tigh position in society. The society consisted of farmers, art metal workers, hunters and herdsmen, lavery wa prevalent in the society. Prohibited games which involved erie ry to animals. The women were educated and Participated in social and religious But their condition had started deteriorating. Polygamy also existed, Economic Conditior The Mauryan times witnessed an era of Prosperity. Political stability was “Rason for all-round prosperity. The Mauryas paid great attention to the “Mnaintenance of roads and waterways. This led to a great expansion of commerce. ge both internal and external trade and industry on a large 18 chief handicrafts of the time, such as wood-work, metal-work Were very well organised.