Lathyal
Topic: Colonial Economy: Land Revenue, Drain, Deindustrialisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Colonialism and the Countryside"
Meaning
Lathyal literally means "one who has a lathi", a long stick used as a weapon. Lathyals were strongmen kept by Bengal zamindars. After the Permanent Settlement of 1793, some outsiders really bought zamindari estates at auction. When they sent agents to take over, the old zamindar's lathyals attacked them. Often the ryots also resisted, because they were loyal to the old zamindar and saw themselves as his proja (subjects). This helped many old zamindars keep control.
Example
In late 18th-century Bengal, an outsider who bought a zamindari often could not take possession. The former zamindar's lathyals drove his agents out of the villages.
Don't confuse with
- Amlah: an amlah was a zamindar's officer who collected rent from the ryots. A lathyal was a strongman who used force to protect the zamindar's hold on his land.
Related concepts
- Burdwan auction of 1797
- Raja of Burdwan
- Fictitious sale
- Benami transaction
- Proja
- Great Depression in India