Patwari
Topic: Mughal Agrarian Society and Economy · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Peasants, Zamindars and the State"
Meaning
The patwari was the village accountant in Mughal India. He kept records of land and revenue (land tax). The village headman supervised the village accounts together with him. These records mattered because the state's revenue was worked out from them.
Example
Village headmen (mandals) checked the accounts with the patwari. Some corrupt mandals changed these accounts and set their own revenue too low. This pushed a bigger share of the tax onto smaller cultivators.
Don't confuse with
- Muqaddam or mandal: this was the village headman. The village elders chose him, and the zamindar (landlord) confirmed him in office. He was the village leader, while the patwari was its record-keeper.
- Amin: this was a Mughal official who made sure imperial rules were carried out in the provinces. He worked above village level.
Related concepts
- Village community in Mughal India
- Caste mobility in rural Mughal India
- Begar
- Village panchayat in Mughal India
- Muqaddam
- Jati panchayat