Zamindar, also known as Zemindar, Zamindari, or the Zamindari System (Persian: زمیندار) were employed by the Mughals to collect taxes from peasants. The practice was continued under British rule. After independence, however, the system was abolished in India and East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh), but is still current in Pakistan. Jamindar is a common irregularity in this name. Persian (Local names: فارسی Fârsi or پارسی Pârsi)* is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... Flag Mughal Empire at its greatest extent in 1700 Capital Agra, Delhi Language(s) Persian (initially also Chagatai; later also Urdu) Government Monarchy List of Mughal emperors  - 1526-1530 Babur  - 1530–1539 and after restoration 1555–1556 Humayun  - 1556–1605 Akbar  - 1605–1627 Jahangir  - 1628–1658 Shah Jahan  - 1659–1707... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Golden rule, also known as the British Rule means that words to be taken in their ordinary sense. ... East Pakistan was a former province of Pakistan which existed between 1955 and 1971. ...

Other terms were used in various provinces. For example, Sindh zamindars were (and still are) known as Wadara, while in Punjab, different terms occur such as Chauhdari, Labardar, Sardar and Malik (the last being an Arabic word originally meaning "king" but sometimes as here used also for "chieftain" or "leader"). Sindh (Sindhī: سنڌ, Urdū: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. ... Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 Punjab (Persian: ‎, meaning Land of the five Rivers) (c. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ...

Mughal era

In the Mughal Era, the Zamindari system was begun to ensure proper collection of taxes during a period when the power and influence of the Mughal emperors was in decline. With the Mughal conquest of Bengal, "zamindar" became a generic title embracing people with different kinds of landholdings, rights and responsibilities ranging from the autonomous or semi-independent chieftains to the peasant-proprietors. All categories of zamindars under the Mughals were required to perform certain police, judicial and military duties. Zamindars under the Mughals were, in fact, more the public functionaries than revenue collecting agents. Although zamindaris were allowed to be held hereditarily, the holders were not considered to be the proprietors of their estates. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mughal Empire. ...

The territorial zamindars had judicial powers. Naturally, judge-magistracy, as an element of state authority conferred status with attendant power, which really made them the lords of their domains. They held regular courts, called zamindari adalat. The courts fetched them not only power and status but some income as well by way of fines, presents and perquisites. The petty zamindars also had some share in the dispensation of civil and criminal justice. The Chowdhurys, who were zamindars in most cases, had authority to deal with the complaints of debts, thefts and petty quarrels and to impose paltry fines. Employee benefits (also called fringe benefits, perquisites, or perks) are various non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. ... Chowdhury Choudhuri Choudhery Chaudhuri Chaudhry(Urdu: چوہدری- variously spelt in different areas: Choudhury, Chaudhri,Chaudhry, Chaudhari, Chaudhury, Chaudhary, Choudhuri, Chaudhuri) is a Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi term literally meaning a holder of four or owner of the fourth part. It is a title typically indicating the ownership of ancestral...

British era

Zamindar was the name of landlords in colonial India. A landlord, is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called the tenant. ...

The Zamindari system was a way of collecting taxes from peasants. The zamindar was considered a lord, and would collect all taxes on his lands and then hand over the collected taxes to the British authorities (keeping a portion for himself). The similarities to medieval feudalism are evident. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ...

Under the British, they resembled landed gentry (although they lived similarly privileged lives under the Mughals) and sometimes styled themselves as little kings, or rajas. Some new Zamindars were old Rajas. Many descended from eighteenth century revenue speculators and military adventurers. Several families are of very ancient lineage, like those claiming Gujjar ancestry and had always been independent rulers at earlier periods of Indian history. They frequently intermarried with the ruling families of the princely states. Their tenants numbered from dozens to many thousands, and under imperial law, had to pay rent to Zamindars to retain rights to their land. Gujjar or Gurjar is a group or caste of the Indian subcontinent. ... A princely state or native state was a feudal monarchy in British India ruled by a hereditary ruler, who was nominally sovereign. ...

Zamindari mansions were generally large, spacious homes built of stone and teak wood, with a wraparound porch and rooms leading off from a large central courtyard, although this varied with the region. The mansion was a part of a vast estate

By the Zamindari system all the public lands were brought under the Zamindar's control.

After partition in India

The Zamindari system was mostly abolished in India soon after its independence. The term is usually associated with the aristocracy as zamindars are still considered to be of the landed gentry. Zamindars tend to marry into families of the same social class; however, there have been cases of impoverished nobles marrying into rich families with no titles (this is sometimes considered marrying into the same social class, even if the other family is not of the nobility).

After partition in East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh)

The abolition of the Zamindari system (which divided the society into lords, owners of property, and commoners, users of property) in East Pakistan (1950) was a major landmark in Bangladesh's movement to a "people's state". Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In West Pakistan (present day Pakistan)

In present day Pakistan the Zamindari System is still present, especially in the provinces of Sindh and Punjab. Zamindars are known by different terms in different provinces. In Sindh, for example, zamindars are known as 'Wadara', while in Punjab, different terms such as 'Chauhdari', 'Labardar', 'Sardar' and 'Malik' are used. The Ghosh were a major clan of this system. Sindh (Sindhī: سنڌ, Urdū: سندھ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. ... This article is about the Pakistani province. ...

See also

• Permanent Settlement
• Ghosh
• Gujjar
• Publican

The Permanent Settlement - also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal (Bangla: চিরস্থায়ী বন্দোবস্ত, Chirosthayi Bandobasto) - was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords with far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the Empire and the political realities of the Indian countryside. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gujjar or Gurjar is a group or caste of the Indian subcontinent. ... Look up Publican in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

External links

• Feudal system In Pakistan on Pakistani News website
• Feudalism in Pakistan by Asian Human Right Commission
• Zamindar Newspaper by Maulana Zafar Ali khan
• Extensive description of the term 'Zamindar'
• http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/main.html exclusively devoted to Indian princely states and domains
• http://www.4dw.net/royalark/India/India.htm several general pages, and various states in great detail
• http://www.rulers.org/ruli.html#india exhaustive lists of rulers and heads of government, and some biographies

Further reading

• Irfan Habib, 1963. The Agrarian System of Mughal India. For the meanings of zamindar see pp. 140ff.