jagirdar system

jagirdar system
Form of land tenancy introduced in India by the early sultans of Delhi in the early 13th century.

Under the system, land, its revenues, and the power to govern it was assigned to an official of the state. The land reverted to the government on the official's death, but heirs could renew the land assignment by paying a fee. Feudalistic in character, the jagirdar system tended to enfeeble the central government by setting up quasi-independent baronies. Periodically abolished, it was always renewed. After Indian independence, measures were taken to abolish absentee landownership.

* * *

▪ Indian tax system
      form of land tenancy developed in India during the time of Muslim rule (beginning in the early 13th century) in which the collection of the revenues of an estate and the power of governing it were bestowed on an official of the state. The term was derived by combining two Persian words: jāgīr (“holding land”) and dār (“official”). The bestowal of a jāgīr on a jāgīrdār could be either conditional or unconditional. A conditional jāgīr required in reciprocity from the beneficiary some form of public service, such as the levying and maintaining of troops for the benefit of the realm. An iqta (assignment of land) was usually made for life, and the jāgīr would revert to the state on the death of the holder, though it was possible for the heir to renew it on payment of a fee.

      The system was introduced by the early sultans of Delhi (Delhi sultanate). Being feudalistic in character, it tended to enfeeble the central government by setting up quasi-independent baronies. The practice was slowed by Sultan Ghiyā al-Dīn Balban (reigned 1266–87) and abolished by Sultan ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Khaljī (1296–1316), only to be revived again by Sultan Fīrūz Shah Tughluq (1351–88), from which time it continued. The early Mughal emperors (16th century) wished to abolish it, preferring to reward their officials with cash salaries, but it was reintroduced by the later emperors and contributed greatly to the weakening of the Mughal state. The British East India Company was given a jāgīr by the nawab Muḥammad ʿAlī of Arcot in present-day Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nādu) state 120, miles (190 km) in length along the Bay of Bengal (Bengal, Bay of) and 47 miles (76 km) in width inland; it became the nucleus of the Madras Presidency. Under the British the old jāgīrdār holdings were largely considered the properties of individual families, particularly in the area of Maharashtra. With Indian independence, legislative measures were taken to abolish the system of absentee landownership.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • system — systemless, adj. /sis teuhm/, n. 1. an assemblage or combination of things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole: a mountain system; a railroad system. 2. any assemblage or set of correlated members: a system of currency; a system of… …   Universalium

  • India — /in dee euh/, n. 1. Hindi, Bharat. a republic in S Asia: a union comprising 25 states and 7 union territories; formerly a British colony; gained independence Aug. 15, 1947; became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations Jan. 26, 1950.… …   Universalium

  • Clive, Robert, 1st Baron Clive of Plassey — ▪ British colonial administrator Introduction born , Sept. 29, 1725, Styche, Shropshire, Eng. died Nov. 22, 1774, London  soldier and first British (British Empire) administrator of Bengal, who was one of the creators of British power in India.… …   Universalium

  • Hyderabad Public School — Infobox Private School | name = Hyderabad Public School established = 1923 type = Public head name = Headmaster head = city = Hyderabad state = Andhra Pradesh country = India campus = Urbanenrollment = 590 (total), 406 (9 12) faculty = 102 colors …   Wikipedia

  • Farmers' movements in India — The farmers in India had to undergo great struggle in all the states to stop exploitation by the Jagirdars and Zamindars. Some of the movements were successful, but others failed. The farmer movements in 1907 under the leadership of Sardar Ajit… …   Wikipedia

  • Maqbool Bhat — Born February 18, 1938(1938 02 18) Trehgam, Kupwara District, Jammu and Kashmir, India Died February 11, 1984(1984 02 11) (aged 45) New Delhi, India Other nam …   Wikipedia

  • Kudan — Infobox Indian Jurisdiction native name = Kudan | type = city | latd = 19.47 | longd = 73.05 locator position = right | state name = Rajasthan district = Sikar leader title = leader name = altitude = population as of = 2001 population total =… …   Wikipedia

  • Beed — This article is about the municipality in Maharashtra, India. For its namesake district, see Beed district. Beed बीड  ·  بیڑ   town   …   Wikipedia

  • Marwar — Not to be confused with Mewar. Historical Region of North India Marwar (मारवाड़) Location western Rajastan …   Wikipedia

  • Suraj Mal of Bharatpur — Maharaja Suraj Mal (1707 ndash;1763) (Devanagari:महाराजा सूरज मल) was ruler of Bharatpur in Rajasthan in India. He has been described by a contemporary historian as the Plato of the Jat people and by a modern writer as the Jat Ulysses , because… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”