Miras
Also called: Watan · Topic: Mughal Agrarian Society and Economy · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Peasants, Zamindars and the State"
Meaning
In Maharashtra, miras or watan was land given to village artisans as a hereditary right in return for their services. Hereditary means it passed from parent to child. Potters, blacksmiths, carpenters and other craftsmen received it, and the village panchayat often decided the grant. The artisan family then kept serving the village and kept the land. This was one way villages paid for crafts other than with cash.
Example
A blacksmith in a Maharashtra village might receive a plot of land as his miras. In return, he made and repaired the peasants' ploughs and tools. His family kept this right from one generation to the next.
Don't confuse with
- Jajmani system: this was a later label for the exchange of goods for services in villages. It was not used in the 16th–17th centuries. Miras was the actual term used in Maharashtra.
- Milkiyat: this was a zamindar's own personal land, worked by hired or servile labour. It was not land given to artisans for their services.