Zamindar
Zamindar, also known as
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.
The word 'Zamindar' has for some time been used for a peasant who owns land.Zamindar was also the name of a popular and very influential Muslim newspaper in the Indian subcontinent run by Maulana Zafar Ali Khan.Zamindar is a
Persian word which literary means "A holder of the real estate" and this meaning is its usual daily use in the Urdu or Persian speaking countries (
Pakistan,
Iran,
Afghanistan,
Tajikistan) today.
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 and rights that ranged 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.
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.
Zamindar was the name of
landlords in colonial India.
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.
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 and had been independent rulers at earlier periods of 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.
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.
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).
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".
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' and 'Malik' are used.
Permanent Settlement*
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
*Irfan Habib, 1963.
The Agrarian System of Mughal India. The meanings of
zamindar discussed pp140ff.
