Q. In medieval India, the designations 'Mahattara' and 'Pattakila' were used for (UPSC Prelims 2014)
Answer: village headmen
Notes: The correct answer is [B] village headmen. These terms are significant in the study of administrative structures during the early medieval period in India.

• Mahattara (Statement B – Correct): This term literally translates to "elder" or "great man." In the village administration of medieval India, particularly in Western and Central India, the Mahattara was a prominent elder or headman who played a crucial role in local governance, land transactions, and settling disputes.
• Pattakila (Statement B – Correct): This was another designation for a village headman, specifically common in the Deccan and parts of Central India. Historians believe that the modern surname 'Patil' (widely used in Maharashtra and Karnataka) is derived from the medieval term Pattakila.
• Military Officers (Statement A – Incorrect): Military officials were usually designated by terms like Senapati, Mahasenapati, or Nayaka.
• Vedic Specialists (Statement C – Incorrect): Specialists in rituals were known by titles like Purohita, Agnihotri, or Pandit.
• Craft Guilds (Statement D – Incorrect): The chiefs or heads of merchant or craft guilds were typically referred to as Sresthi or Sarthavaha.

During this period, village administration was largely decentralized. The Mahattara and Pattakila acted as the primary link between the central state and the local agrarian community, often holding hereditary positions and overseeing tax collection.