What were caste or Jati-Panchayats and what were their functions?
Except for the village Panchayats, there were caste Panchayats in villages. These Panchayats were very powerful in society. Caste Panchayats in Rajasthan used to solve civil disputes among people of different castes : They resolved disputes related to claims of land. They ensured whether marriages are taking place according to caste restrictions or not. They also determined who had ritual precedence in village functions. Actually, in most of the cases, except criminal cases, the State used to respect the decisions taken by Jati Panchayats.
