A Village accountant or Patwari (Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal), Talati (Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra) or Lekhpal (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand), is an administrative government position in rural areas of the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ind ...
. Introduced during the early 16th century, it was maintained by the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
. The official, as a representative of the state, is responsible for keeping land records, agricultural records and collecting taxes.
History
The ''patwar'' system, introduced to the Indian subcontinent during the rule of
Sher Shah Suri
Sher Shah Suri ( ps, شیرشاه سوری)
(1472, or 1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān ( ps, فرید خان)
, was the founder of the Sur Empire in India, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He standardized the silver coin ...
, was further enhanced by the Mughal emperor
Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
. The East India Company and subsequently British crown continued with the system with some administrative changes. It denotes the office of the ''talati'' in rural
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth- ...
,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country sub ...
and
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karn ...
. The office and its holder are known as Talatis, and holders of the office have adopted it as their family name. The ''talati'' replaced the ''kulkarni'' in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The duties of a ''talati'' are performed under a different title in other Indian states; a ''talati'' is known as a ''patwari'' in
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and 35 ...
, Punjab and Haryana.
Originally a land-holding clerk, the ''talati'' is now a paid, government-appointed official.
A ''
patil'' (''
patel'' in Gujarat) is an outsider who assists the ''talati'' in collecting revenue. It has been alleged that records maintained by the ''talati'' do not reflect actual positions, because the ''talati'' did not take into account the tribal custom of using the name of the adult male family member for land possession.
In 1814, duties of the ''Talati'' included preserving village records, monitoring daily activities, and gathering information about individuals (including ''
mukhi Mukhi (''mukhia'') is the title used for a head of community or village elitesIndia's Villages. Development Department, West Bengal, 1955 and their local government in Western India and the Sindh.Peasant Pasts: History and Memory in Western India. V ...
s'' and other village elites).
The 1882 ''Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency'' records the ''Talati'' as a village accountant, in charge of eight to ten villages, whose annual salary was £12-£18 (Rs. 120–180). The ''Talati'' was expected to live in one of the villages and visit each village every month to learn villagers needs and report them to the sub-divisional manager at the sub-divisional office. The ''Talati'' was also required to give each landholder an account with the landholder's dues.
In August 1891, a ''talati'' salary was recorded as low.
In 1884,
Mountstuart Elphinstone
Mountstuart Elphinstone (6 October 1779 – 20 November 1859) was a Scottish statesman and historian, associated with the government of British India. He later became the Governor of Bombay (now Mumbai) where he is credited with the open ...
was reported as saying that the ''talati'' promoted the government but reduced the authority of the ''patel''; Elphinstone recommended minimising the interference.
The appointment of a ''talati'' was viewed negatively by village chiefs, who saw him as a government representative in the absence of a ''kulkarni'' or ''
watandar''.
The ''talati'' was also involved in collecting annual census data after
Mrigashīrsha
Mṛgaśiraṣa (also spelled Mārgaśīrṣa/Mṛgaśira; Devanagari: मृगशीर्ष) is the 5th nakṣatra or ''lunar mansion'' as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology in the constellation Orion. Its position is described in the Su ...
.
''Talatis'' are known as ''patwari'' in Bengal, ''
karnam'' in Andhra Pradesh and North India, and ''kanakku pillai'' in Tamil villages.
Etymology
Known as
lekhpal in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...
, the word is derived from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the la ...
root ''tal'' (to accomplish a vow, to establish or to fix) and has the same meaning in
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language
Marathi (; ''Marāṭhī'', ) is an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by Marathi people in the Indian state of Mahara ...
.
Duties
The duties of a ''talati'' include maintaining village crop and land records and collecting taxes and irrigation dues.
Among the administration, the ''talati'' has the closest connection with the villagers.
Generally in charge of a group of villages known as a ''saza'', they are required to reside in the ''saza'' unless authorised by the
Collector; however, most ''talatis'' were found to be in violation of the rule.
Part of the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( gur ...
caste in most cases,
the ''talati'' is generally considered a representative of the government.
As the lowest state functionary in the revenue-collection system, their job encompasses visiting agricultural lands and maintaining a record of ownership and
tilth
Tilth is a physical condition of soil, especially in relation to its suitability for planting or growing a crop. Factors that determine tilth include the formation and stability of aggregated soil particles, moisture content, degree of aeration, ...
. The
government of India
The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
has developed a Patwary Information System (PATIS), software which was deployed in at least two districts by 2005; deployment at the tehsil level is underway.
A patwari reports to the
tehsildar
In India and Pakistan, a Tehsildar or Mamlatdar is a tax officer accompanied by revenue inspectors. They are in charge of obtaining taxes from a tehsil with regard to land revenue. A tehsildar is also known as an executive magistrate of the rel ...
, a higher-level tax officer.
A patwari can wield significant power and influence,
and corrupt patwaris have escaped punishment due to their political connections.
They have three main duties:
* Maintaining records of crops harvested
* Recording land-rights changes
* Accounting for the preparation of the above data
In the hilly regions of Indian state of Uttarakhand, British administration had given additional law enforcement powers and functions to ''patwaris''. Known as revenue police, these officials continue to have the primary jurisdiction of law and order in these areas.
Terminology
The ''khewat'' number (
کھیوٹ ) is assigned to village land, and changes when the land is sold. The ''Khatami'' number (
کھتونی نمبر ), an additional number assigned to village land after the ''khewat'' number, also changes when the land is sold. ''Girdawary'', the record of land cultivation (crops and ownership), is maintained by the ''patwari'' in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, by the ''Talati'' in
Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the second-most populous country sub ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth- ...
and
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karn ...
, and similar officials in other Indian states.
If a non-owner cultivates the land for an extended period, they may claim possession of the land.
In India and Pakistan, ''jamabandi'' are land records maintained for each village in a tehsil (township).
[Jambandi Haryana]
Haryana Revenue Department.
A ''jamabandi'' includes the name of the owners, the area of cultivation (or land), owner shares, and other rights. It is revised periodically. A ''jamabandi'' is prepared by a ''patwari'', and certified by the division revenue officer. Two copies are made: one for the government's record room, and the other for the ''patwari''. In a number of states, land records have been computerized and are available on the Internet.
''Lal Dora'', a term introduced by the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
in 1908, is a red line drawn on revenue maps that delineates the village population from nearby agricultural land. It enables villagers to build houses without the Change in Land Use (CLU) authorization which would otherwise be needed to convert agricultural land to commercial or residential use.
[What is Lal Dora]
Daily Pioneer, 11 June 2013.
See also
*
Adverse possession
Adverse possession, sometimes colloquially described as "squatter's rights", is a legal principle in the Anglo-American common law under which a person who does not have legal title to a piece of property—usually land (real property)—may ...
*
Khasra
*
Lambardar
Numbardar or Lambardar ( hi, नम्बरदार, pnb, ਲੰਬੜਦਾਰ, لمبردار, ur, لمبردار or نمبردار, bn, লম্বরদার/নম্বরদার, Lombordar/Nombordar) is a title in the Indian subcon ...
*
Munshi
Munshi is a Persian word, originally used for a contractor, writer, or secretary, and later used in the Mughal Empire and India for native language teachers, teachers of various subjects, especially administrative principles, religious texts, ...
*
Zaildar
Zaildar was the title of the grand jagirdars (landlords) of the area, who were in charge of a Zail which was an administrative unit of group of villages during the British Indian Empire. The Settlement Officer, with the advice of the Deputy Co ...
References
External links
{{Cite web , last=Patel , first=Manoj , date=2022-12-09 , title=Talati Exam Date 2022 in Gujarat {{! Talati Cum Mantri Admit card 2022 - Ojas Gujarat , url=https://ojas-gujarat.in/talati-exam-date-2022-in-gujarat/ , access-date=2022-12-12 , website=ojas-gujarat.in , language=en-US
Indian feudalism
Local government in Pakistan
Tehsils of India
Land management in India
Types of administrative division
Real property law
Local government in India
Government occupations
Indian words and phrases
Feudalism in Pakistan
Agriculture in Pakistan
Pakistani words and phrases