Glossary of Land Revenue Words

Updated: Sunday April 13, 2014/AlAhad Jamada El Thaniah 13, 1435/Ravivara Chaitra 23, 1936, at 07:39:05 AM

Glossary of Land Revenue Words

(From Punjab Settlement Manual)

Abadi deh	…	Inhabited site of village.
Abi	…	Watered by lift from tanks, pools, marshes, or streams.
Abiana	…	An assessment levied in addition to the assessment at unirrigated rates on account of the advantage derived from irrigation (Paragraph 61).
Abwab	…	Cesses.
Adhlapi	…	A man who by sinking a well in another man’s land acquires ownership in half of the land attached to the well (paragraph 173).
Adna malik	…	Inferior owner.
Ahtrafi	…	A cess paid by artisance to the village proprietors.
Ala lambardar	…	Chief lambardar (Headman).
Ala malik.	…	Superior owner.
Amin	…	Surveyor employed for making village maps.
Ang	…	Cess on cattle levied by proprietors on other residents in village for grazing in village waste.
Anwanda	…	Clearing tenant in Dera Ghazi Khan (See note, page 107 of Settlement manual).
Asami	…	Tenant (in old settlement literature the term is sometimes confined to a resident tenant).

Bachh	…	Distribution of revenue over holdings.
Badastur	…	Ledger.
Bahi	…	Unaltered.
Bajra	…	A kind of millet (Pennisetum typhodeum).
Bakhra	…	Share (in Pathan tracts).
Banda	…	Hamlet (in Pathan tracts).
Bangar	…	Upland tract.
Banjar	…	Uncultivated land.
Bania	…	Village’s shopkeeper, money-lender.
Banjar	…	Uncultivated land.
Banjar kadim	…	New fallow (for all explanation see paragraph 267).
Banjar kadim	…	Old fallow (for full explanation see paragraph 267).
Barani	…	Dependent on rainfall.
Batai	…	Rent taken by division of crop.
Batta	…	A form of village tenure (see paragraph 139).
Bhaichara	…	Sub-number (paragraph 271).
Bhoang	…	Due paid harvest by harvest to a godkesh tenant (note on page 107).
Bhunga	…	Cess on cattle levied by proprietors on other residents in a village for grazing in village waste.
Bhur	…	Sand.
Bigha	…	A measure of area. In the Western Punjab the bigha is half a ghumao, in the east the shahjahani bigha is five-eighths of an acre and the zamindari or kacha bigha five-twenty fourths of an acre. The actual bigha used by the Zamindari does not always correspond with the kacha bigha used in settlement surveys (see paragraph 243).
Bir	…	A preserve.
Bisa	…	One-twentieth of a bigha (q. v).
Biswi	…	A fee paid in recognition of property right.
Biswansi	…	One-twentieth of a bigha (q.v).
Burji	…	A survey pillar.
Butemar	…	A tenant who has acquired permanent rights in the land by clearing it of jangal.

Chaharam	…	A grant of one-fourth of the ruler’s share of the produce to an individual or family of influence.
Chah	…	Well; well-holding.
Chahi	…	Irrigated from a well.
Chahi khalis	…	Irrigated only from a well as distinguished from chahi-narhi (q.v) or chahi-sailab.
Chahi-nahri	…	Irrigated partly from a well and partly from canal.
Chak	…	Assessment circle, a block of land.
Chakbat	…	Applied to a patti or sub-division of an estate which has all its land lying in one block (see Khetbat).
Chakdar	…	Inferior owner (in South-West Punjab). For full explanation, (see paragraph 168).
Chakla	…	Assessment circle.
Chakota	…	Lump grain rent or rent consisting of a fixed amount of grain in the rabi, and a fixed amount of cash in the kharif harvest (see paragraph 312).
Chapparband	…	A term for a resident (see tenant paragraph 196) entitled to permanent occupation at a fixed rate of rent (see paragraph 197).
Chari	…	A kind of millet (q.v) grown for fodder (see jowar).
Chaudhri	…	Rural notable.
Chaukidar	…	Village watchman.
Chela	…	Supiritual son or pupil.
Chhambh	…	A marsh.
Chhar	…	A system of silt clearance under which the clearance is effected by the irrigators themselves (see paragraph 449).
Chundavand	…	A custom of inheritance under which several sons by one wife inherit the same share as a single son by another wife (see pagvand).

Daftri	…	Owner in pathan tracts (see paragraph 157).
Dak	…	Post.
Dakar	…	Stiff clay soil.
Darbar	…	Council or other governing body in a Native State.
Darkhwast Mal	…	Tender of engagement to pay the land revenue.
Duzari	….	Assessment.
Darya	…	River.
Dastur-ul-amal	…	Hand-book for the guidance of district revenue officers in carrying out of the provisions of the settlement.
Daul	…	Estimate of revenue payable by different estates (see paragraph 16).
Daulp	…	Ridge.
Dharat	…	Weighment fee; levied on sales of produce within village (see paragraph 94).
Dhenkli	…	A hand-lever well.
Dhok	…	Hamlet.
Doab	…	Country lying between two rivers.
Dohli	…	Death-bed gift of a small plot of land to a Brahman.

Ekfasli

…

Yielding one crop in each agricultural year.

Fakir	…	Religious mendicant.
Fard Ranngazi.	…	List of fields for colouring purposes.

Gharldakhilkar	…	Tenant-at-will.
Ghair Maurasi	…	Tenant-at-will.
Ghairmumkin	…	Barren.
Ghi	…	Clarified butter.
Ghumao	…	A measure of area (see paragraph 243).
Girdawar	…	Kanungo or supervisor of patwaris (Paragraph 292-A).
Girdawari	…	Harvest inspection.
Godkesh	…	Tenant in Multan who has acquired a permanent title by breaking up waste (note on page 107).
Gora	…	Land close to a village site which is often heavily manured.
Gosha	…	Corner.
Got	…	Sub-division of a tribe.
Guru	…	Spiritual father or guide.

Hakimi hissa	…	The ruler’s share of the produce.
Hakk buha	…	Dorr tax; a cess levied by proprietors from other residents in a village (see paragraph 94).
Hakkdar	…	A tenant entitled to permanent occupation at a fixed rate of rent (see paragraph 197).
Hamsayas	…	Dependents occupying outlying hamlets of a pathan estate on condition of assisting in repelling raids on the lands of the proprietors (see paragraph 159).
Hari	…	Applied to land cropped only in the rabi harvest.
Hathrakhaidar	…	A man who agreed to become responsible for payment of the revenue on condition of receiving the proprietor’s share of the produce; has less a fee paid in recognition of the owner’s proprietary title (see paragraph 172).

Ikrarnama	…	Village administration paper, same as wajib-ul-arz.
Iliaqawar	…	Relating to an ilaka or tract.
Inam	…	A cash allowance paid to secure the services of a man of influence.
Inamdar	…	The holder of an inam (q.v)
Ismi	…	A proprietary fee.

Jadid	…	See banjar jaded. Also a class of tenant ( see paragraph 196).
Jagir	…	An assignmen of land revenue.
Jagirdar	…	Holder of an assignment of land-revenue.
Jama	…	Land revenue demand.
Jamabandi	…	Register of holdings of owners and tenants showing land held by each and amounts payable as rent, land revenue, and cesses.
Jamai	…	A class of tenant (see paragraph 196).
Jangal	…	Uncultivated land covered with brushwood and small trees.
Jhalar	…	A Persian-wheel by which water is raised from a stream or canal.
Jahalari	…	Irrigated by jhalar (q.v).
Jhil	…	A sheet of water.
Jhuri	…	Fee paid to proprietor when entering on possession of land (see paragraph 168).
Jinswar	…	Relating to crops, also the crop statement for any particular harvest.
Jowar	…	A kind of millet (Sorghum Vulgare).

Kabza	…	Possession.
Kacha	…	Incomplete or imperfect, applied to village measures of area and weights as distinguished from those recognised by Government; not lined with masonry (of a well).
Kacha asami	…	Term used for a tenant-at-will (see paragraph 197).
Kacha bigha	…	See bigha.
Kacha malba	…	The system under which the amount actually expended on the common pruposes fo a village is distributed periodically over the proprietors. To be distinguished from pakka malba (q.v).
Kachahri	…	District court-house.
Kadam	…	A pace (see paragraph 243).
Kadim	…	See banjar kadim also a class of tenant (see paragraph 197).
Kadimi	…	A class of tennat (see paragraph 198).
Kaifiyat	…	Report note.
Kalar	…	Barren land, also applied to reh efflorescence, and in the east of the Punjab to sour clay rice (Land kalar dahr).
Kamlana	…	Cess paid by artisans to the proprietors of the village in which they ply their trade (see paragraph 94).
Kan	…	Appraisement of crops, realization of landlord’s share of produce in cash after appraising its amount and value.
Kanal	…	A measure or area (see paragraph 243).
Kania	…	A man who appraises crops.
Kankar	…	Lime modules.
Kankut	…	Same as kan (q.v).
Kanungo	…	Supervisor of patwaris.
Karam	…	Unit of length.
Kardar	…	Title of official in Indian State.
Karguzari	…	Outturn of work.
Karukan	…	Length and breadth.
Kasur	…	Fee paid in recognition of proprietary title (see paragraph 170).
Khadir	…	Lowlying land near river.
Khaka	…	Rough plan.
Khalsa	…	The Sikh commonwealth. Revenue credited to Government as contrasted with jagir (q.v.) revenues.
Khamtahsil	…	Direct management of estate by Government.
Kharaba	…	Portion of crop which has failed to come to maturity.
Kharach	…	Cess realized by landlord in addition to rent (see paragraph 339).
Kharif	…	Autumn harvest.
Khasanve	…	Same as vesh (q.v).
Khasra	…	List of folds, field register.
Khasra girdawari.	…	Harvest inspection register.
Khata	…	Holding of a tenant.
Khatauni	…	A list of holdings of tenants. Holding slips prepared at re-measurement (see Appendix VII).
Khetbat	…	Applied to a patti or sub-division of an estate; all the land of which does not lie in a single block (see chakbat).
Khewat	…	A list of owners’ holdings.
Khewat-khatauni.	…	A combined khewat and khatauni corresponding to the present jamabandi (see Paragraph 274).
Khudkasht	…	Cultivated by the owner himself.
Khula vesh	…	Fresh calculation of shares at time of vesh (q.v.) (See paragraph 158).
Khush-haisiyati	…	Owner’s rate, water, or canal-advantage rate.
Killabandi	…	(See Appendix XIV).
Kudhi-Lamini	…	A cess on hearths realized by proprietors from other residents in a village (see paragraph 94).
Kuhmar	…	A tenant in Dera Gazi Khan who has earned a permanent title by sinking a well (see paragraph 211).

Lakh	…	1,00,000.
Lakhiraj	…	Exempt from assessment.
Lambardar	…	Village headman.
Latha girdawari.	…	Cloth copy of the patwari’s map (Paragraph 292 and Appendix XXI).
Lathband	…	A tenant who acquires rights in land by embanking fields (see Paragraph 211).
Lathmar	…	Same as lathband (q.v).
Lichh	…	Fee paid in recognition of proprietary title (see Paragraph 169).
Lungi	…	Fee paid to proprietor when enterin on possession of land (see paragraph 168).

Mafi	…	Revenue free.
Mafidar	…	The holder of an assignment of land revenue.
Mahal	…	Estate.
Mahsul	…	Share of produce due to sate, now share of produce taken by person who pays the revenue in money (see paragraph 170).
Mahsulkhor	…	A kind of land revenue farmer (see paragraph 172).
Maira	…	Sandy loam.
Mal	…	Land Revenue
Malatar	…	Same as hamsaya (q.v).
Malba	…	Fund out of which common village expenses are defrayed.
Malguzar	…	Person responsible for payment of land revenue.
Malguzari	…	Relating to assessment assessable.
Malik	…	Owner in Western Punjab; malik means a leading man in a section of a tribe.
Malik adna	…	Inferior proprietor.
Malik ala	…	Superior proprietor.
Malikana	…	Fee paid in recogniting of proprietary title.
Malik Kabza	…	A man who owners the land actually in his possession; but has no share in the common property of the village community (see paragraph 142).
Marla	…	A measure of area (see paragraph 243).
Masri	…	A small pulse.
Matyat	…	A word used in United provinces fro a clay soil. Occupancy tenant.
Mauza	…	Village.
Mauzawar	…	By villages (paragraph 512).
Milan khasra	…	An area statement abstracted from the khasra (q.v) annual area statement.
Milan rakba	…	Annual area statement.
Milkiyat adna	…	Inferior ownership.
Milkiyat ala	…	Superior ownership.
Milkiyat makbuz	…	Tenure of a malik kabza (q.v).
Min	…	Portion.
Minhai	…	Excluded from the assessable area.
Minjumla	…	Part out of a whole (Instruction 3, Appendix VIII).
Mirasi	…	A class of Landholder (See paragraph 196).
Mirasidar	…	A class of landholder (see Paragraph 196).
Misl haqiyat	…	Record-of- rights.
Moth	…	A small pulse (phareoolus trilobus).
Muhtarafa	…	Same as ahtrafi (q.v).
Mukaddim	…	Superior proprietor (see paragraph 167), also a leading man or headman in a village community (see paragraph 115).
Makaddmi	…	Fee paid to superior proprietor in recognition of proprietary title (see paragraph 169).
Mukarraridar	…	A kind of occupancy tenant (see paragraph 211).
Mundhimar	…	A man who acquires occupancy right in land by clearing it of jangal (see paragraph 211).
Munshi	…	An Indian clerk.
Muntakhib assamiwar	…	Statement of owners and tenants, holding with detail of fields and rent, etc.
Musavi	…	Mapping sheet.
Mushakhsadar	…	A farmer of the land revenue (See paragraph 172).

Nagha	…	Commutation paid for failure to perform ehher (q.v) labour.
Nahri	…	Irrigated from a canal.
Nahri-parts	…	Assessment rate over and above the assessment rate or unirrigated land applied to nahri land in calculating the fixed assessment which it shall pay (see paragraph 446).
Naib-tehsildar	…	The deputy or assistant of he Tehsildar (q.v.).
Naksha alamat	…	List of conventional signs.
Naksha-intikal	…	Statement of land transfers.
Naksha-lakhiraj	…	Statement of land revenue assignments.
Naksha-thakbast	…	Village boundary map (see paragraphs 248 and 270).
Nala	…	Drain or watercourse.
Nautor	…	Land brought under cultivation for the first time.
Nazim	…	Governor of large tract in an Indian State.
Nazrana	…	An abatement from the revenue to an estate, etc., retained by government in making a land revenue assignment to an individual.
Nazul	…	Land, etc. which has become the property of government by escheat or failure of heirs.
Niai	…	Manured.

Pachotra	…	A surcharge of 5 per cent on the revenue paid to village headmen.
Pag	…	Fee paid to proprietor on entering on possession of land and (see paragraph 168).
Pagvand	…	A custom of inheritance under which sons by different wives inherit equal shares in land (see chundavand) the property being divided per capita.
Pahikasht	…	A tenant who does not live in the village in which he cultivates land .
Paipath	…	A fee paid, to a superior owner in a recognition of his proprietary title (see paragraph 169).
Pakka	…	Complete or perfect applied to measures of weight and area recognized by government as distinguished from those used in villages; lined with masonry (of a well).
Pakka malba	…	The system under which the amount to be collected for common village expenses in fixed at a definite percentage on the land revenue.
Pana	…	A sub-division of an estate (see paragraph 128).
Panahi	…	A tenant protected from ejectment for a term, of years (See paragraph 203).
Panapalat	…	A form of periodical distribution of a land in the Gurgaon District (see paragraph 158).
Parcha	…	An extract from a khatauni or Jamabandi, a copy of the entry in a khatauni regarding his holding given to a right-holder at measurement (see paragraph 2, Appendix VII).
Pargana	…	A group of estates forming a sub-division of a district or Tehsil.
Part Sirkar	…	Government copy of the new settlement record.
Part Tehsil	…	Tehsil copy of the settlement map (paragraph 292 and Appendix XXI).
Parta	…	Assessment rate.
Patta	…	Leather cover such as is used fro protecting account books by Indian shopkeepers (see Appendix VII) also deed of grant (see paragraph 152).
Patti	…	A sub-division of an estate (see paragraph 128); also a well holding (see paragraph 165).
Pattidar	…	A form of village tenure (see paragraphs 137 and 138).
Patwari	…	A village accountant or registrar.
Puchh-bakri	…	A cess on marriage levied by proprietors from other resides in a village (see paragraph 94).

Rabi	…	Spring harvest.
Raiyat	…	Tenant.
Raiyatwari	…	A form of settlement in which the occupant of each holdings is under a separate engagement with Government, as distinguished from the village settlement in force in North-Western area.
Rakh	…	A preserve.
Rangsaz	…	A colourist.
Rassa-Buti	…	A form of tenure in riverain estates in Sialko (see note on page 72).
Rastah	…	Pathway.
Rausli	…	A loam soil.
Riwaj-I-am	…	Record of customs followed by the chief tribes in a district in the matter of marriage, inheritance, etc. (see paragraphs 561—567).
Ret	…	Sand.
Rohi	…	A stiffish soil containing a considerable amount of clay.
Rubakati-akhir	…	Brief abstract of settlement proceedings appended to settlement record (see paragraph 270).

Sabik	…	Former.
Sadr	…	Headquarters station.
Sad malguzars	…	Leading land-owners allowed to become responsible for revenue assessed on an estate (see paragraph 17).
Sailab	…	Flooded or kept permanently moist by river.
Sailaba	…	Same as sailab (q.v.).
Sair	…	Miscellaneous income derived from an estate by its owners over and above the profits fo cultivation (see paragraph 356).
Sanad	…	A deed of grant.
Sarak	…	Road.
Sarsahi	…	A measure of area (See paragraph 243).
Sarsari parts	…	An all-round rate on cultivation without discrimination of soils or classes of land.
Sawani	…	Cropped only in the autumn harvest.
Sayar	…	See sair.
Ser	…	A measure of weight, 1/40^th of maund.
Seri	…	Grant of land made by pathan Chief to me who helped him with their swords or their prayers.
Sermani	…	A fee of one ser in the mauud of produce paid in recognition of proprietary title.
Shahjahani bigha	…	See bigha.
Shahnahri	…	Irrigated from a canal owned by the State.
Shajra	…	Map, plan.
Shajra kishtwar	…	Village common land.
Shikast	…	Broken.
Shora	…	Saltpetre.
Sihadda	…	Masonry pillar or platform erected at point where boundaries of three villages meet.
Silhdar	…	Same as chakdar (q.v.).
Sir jagir	…	Land owned by jagirdat in an estate of which the revenue is assigned to him.
Sir-o-pa	…	Fee paid to proprietor when entering on possession of land (see paragraph 168).
Siwai	…	Cesses also same as sair (q.v.).

Tafrik	…	Distribution of revenue over holdings.
Tahrij asamiwar	…	Abstract of khatauni showing tenants, holdings with their areas and rents; but without details of fields (see paragraph 270).
Tehsil	…	A sub-division of a district, charge of Tehsildar.
Tehsildar	…	Official in chief executive charge of a Tehsil.
Takavi	…	Loan granted by Government to a land-owner for agricultural purposes.
Talukdar	…	A superior proprietor (see paragraphs 103, 143 and 145).
Taraddadkar	…	A class of tenant in jhang (see paragraph 211).
Taraf	…	A sub-division of an estate.
Tarika paimaish	…	Note of method of suvey (Appendix XXI).
Tarmim	…	Correction.
Tawani	…	A class of tenant in Kohat
Thana	…	Police Station or the jurisdiction of a police Station (see paragraph 579).
Tahana patti	…	Marriage fee levied by proprietors of village from other residents (See paragraph 94).
Thok	…	A sub-division of an estate (see paragraph 128).
Thula	…	A sub-division of an estate (see paragraph 128).

Vesh

…

Periodical redistribution of land among proprietors (see paragraph 158).

Wajib-ul-arz	…	Village administration paper (see paragraphs 295-296-A and Appendix VIII).
Waris	…	Landholder (see paragraphs 152, 175, 178 and 197-A).
Warisi	…	Right of the waris (q.v.).
Water	…	Line.
Wirsana	…	Fee paid in recognition of proprietary title.

Zabti	…	Cash rents levied on account of certain crops.
Zail	…	A group of estates out of which some representative man is appointed zaildar.
Zaildar	…	A man of influence appointed to have charge of a zail.
Zamindar	…	Land-owner.
Zamindari	…	A form of village tenure (see paragraph 136).
Zamindari bigha	…	See bigha.
Zari-I-Zagha	…	Fund formed out of commutation paid by persons who do not perform the chher (q.v.) labour for which they are responsible.
Zillah (zil’s)	…	District.